President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday the objective of the government is to work to uplift the people despite communal, religious and regional differences and the government has streamlined plans to develop the North and South equally.

Addressing a massive public rally held in Pudukuduirippu Pradeshiya Sabha Grounds last morning in support of the ruling party candidates for the upcoming Northern Provincial Council, the President said the government has taken expeditious measures to develop the war-battered Province within the last 4 years after defeating terrorism.

Highlighting the development in infrastructure such as hospitals, roads and schools, the President said what was destroyed in the region have been provided to the people in a period of 4 years and the government is taking measures to solve problems related to housing and land and uplift the lives of the people.

He assured to return everything people lost during the past 30 years except the lives.

President Rajapaksa appealed to the people in the North not to get misled by the false propaganda of the major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance.

The President pointed out that the Tamil party is misleading the people by promising self-government and independence but not in a position to uplift the people's lives or provide the basic facilities they need.

He noted that the Presidential, Parliamentary and Pradeshiya Sabha elections were held and democracy has been established in the region following the war. Holding an election in the north that was subjugated to terrorism for 30 years is a great accomplishment he added.

During the rally TNA organizer for Oddusuddan Thirunam Kurupu Rakesh joined the UPFA and several former LTTE leaders also expressed their support to the ruling alliance.

Senior Minister DEW Gunasekera, General Secretary of UPFA Minister Susil Premajayantha, ministers Reginold Cooray and Susantha Punchinilame and MPs Praba Ganesan, Murugesu Chandrakumar and Hunais Farook also participated in the rally.