Southern States - Pondicherry   

NDA Govt. a threat to secularism: Cong.

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI SEPT. 30. Sounding the poll bugle, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee led by the AICC in-charge, Ahmed Patel, today charged the NDA Government at the Centre with all-round failure and the Sangh Parivar with pursuing dangerous and evil designs posing a serious threat to the country's secular character.

The local Congress workers held a demonstration in front of Raj Nivas to highlight "the agony of the people and the threat posed to democratic institutions due to the unconstitutional approach being adopted by the Vajpayee Government in crucial matters".

Hundreds of party workers led by Mr. Patel and the DPCC president, Chaudhary Prem Singh, submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai Kapoor, seeking an end to "unlawful and undemocratic ways of the Central Government". Addressing the huge gathering, Mr. Patel strongly objected to the remarks of Mr. Fernandes against the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, in which he had held out a threat of initiating a case of sedition against her.

Lashing out at Mr. Fernandes, the AICC leader said the Defence Minister had given up all morality in public life, sticking to the chair even after facing serious charges.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Prem Singh said the country was facing a crisis of confidence ever since the BJP-led Government had assumed power at the Centre. He charged the Vajpayee Government with following anti-poor and anti-people policies and said due to the indifferent attitude of the Vajpayee Government, the farmers were faced with terrible problems. Charging the BJP and Sangh Parivar with preaching hate and following a communal agenda, the DPCC president said never had the country been so sharply divided on caste and religious lines as today. He said the democratic institutions were being subverted and the communal agenda being pursued by the Central Government and BJP allies posed a serious threat to the secular character of the nation.

The former Union Minister, Jagdish Tytler, said the NDA Government had to its credit the highest number of scams in the shortest possible time. He said the UTI scam had ruined nearly 2.5 crore families who had lost the entire life's savings in one go due to the indifferent attitude of the present Central Government and involvement of some people from within the Vajpayee Cabinet. The former MP, Sajjan Kumar, said the Central Government had become a big liability on the nation. Prominent among those who took part in the protest included the Delhi Mayor, Ashok Kumar Jain, the Chairman MCD Standing Committee, Ram Babu Sharma, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Kiran Chaudhary, the AICC secretary, Dalbir Singh, and a large number of MLAs, Councillors and party office-bearers.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• NDA Govt. a threat to secularism: Cong.
• Awards presented to scouts, guides

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu