The Hindu : Sonia cautions Chhattisgarh voters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2003

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Sonia cautions Chhattisgarh voters

By Aarti Dhar

BHILAI (Chhattisgarh) Nov. 18 . The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today launched the election campaign in the State by criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party for "shielding" a Central Minister who had been "exposed" in an underhand deal.

"He happened to be the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate in Chhattisgarh," she told a rally here this afternoon and cautioned the voters to beware of such people.

She said the Congress had never deviated from its principles and was concerned about the welfare of all sections, particularly the Dalits, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and the minorities.

"I am more concerned about women who comprise 50 per cent of the country's population. If they are unhappy and backward, how will they improve the future of the country,'' she asked.

The Congress wanted to create history in Chhattisgarh and she had come to seek the people's support.

"We have to fight the forces who want to divide the people in the name of caste and religion. The outcome of the elections will define the future of the State that is full of resources that need to be judiciously exploited to make it self-reliant," she said.

Blaming the Centre for "wrong policies" that had resulted in price rise and led to the suicide of farmers, Ms. Gandhi said the Centre's decision to disinvest profit-making public sector undertakings had left thousands jobless.

Earlier, addressing the rally, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, said the coming elections were a fight for justice.

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