The Hindu : Sonia using wrong language: Vajpayee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 30, 2003

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National

Sonia using wrong language: Vajpayee

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV. 29. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today lashed out at the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, for using "wrong" and "strong" language when her own Congress Governments were on test in the four States going to the polls on December 1. Stung by Ms. Gandhi's sharp criticism that the BJP-led Government at the Centre represented vinash (destruction), he said: "The people will decide whether we represent vikas (development) or vinash. She does not even know what vinash stands for or who is doing vinash. Despite being in the minority, we have been successful in running a majority Government at the Centre."

Addressing the last election meeting at Pitampura in North-West Delhi, Mr. Vajpayee said the Congress president was raising issues which have already been discussed in Parliament. "She had asked about creation of one crore jobs per year by our Government and I gave her figures, but again this issue is being raised by her. She talks about vinash but has no explanation about the incompetent conduct of her Governments in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The time has come for the people in these States to send the Congress Governments to five-year banwas (exile). There can be no forgiveness for the lapses during the past five years, but only banwas for those who have not performed," he remarked.

Mr. Vajpayee devoted a major part of his 35-minute address to criticise Ms. Gandhi for using the word to describe the BJP-led Government at the Centre. "We got peaceful elections conducted in Jammu and Kashmir. Barring some untoward incidents, the situation there is improving. Does the situation in Jammu and Kashmir represent vinash? The country is on fast track development; we have buffer stocks of food grains and are repaying our debts well before the due date. The farmers are getting remunerative prices for their produce and the price situation is stable, does this mean vinash?"

The Prime Minister said the people have decided to throw out the Congress Government in Madhya Pradesh. Even the senior Congress leader, Arjun Singh, had acknowledged that roads were in a poor condition in the State. There is no scope for repentance and the only solution is exile for the Digvijay-led Government. Our work is before the people and there is no reason why they will not support the BJP in the four States," Mr. Vajpayee said.

`Test for Congress'

"The Congress cannot run a coalition. They are against the coalition mantra, as they have not reconciled themselves to being in the minority. The coming Assembly polls are a test for the Congress Governments. It cannot win the confidence of the people by abusing the BJP. The elections in the four States are being fought on the issues of road, power, water and development. The BJP-led Central Government has prepared a plan to tap 50,000 MW hydropower potential in the country. We are constructing highways from Kashmir to Kanyakumari which will touch all the major metro cities. The NDA Government represents development and the Congress represents indecision," he said.

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