The Hindu : Pranab criticises NDA's campaign

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

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National

Pranab criticises NDA's campaign

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, FEB. 14. The Congress leader, Pranab Mukherjee, today criticised the BJP-led NDA Government for using public money for advertisement campaign which, he said, was launched with an "eye on the elections."

He told a press conference here today that the issue would be raised at the all-party meeting convened by the Election Commission on February 20. He said the NDA would justify it saying that the electoral code of conduct was not in force.

He said that he could understand if the BJP Government had come out with an advertisement on something they had achieved. "They are talking about the second green revolution, but the farm yield during their rule has come down."

He said it was `highly objectionable' that the Vajpayee Government was advertising what it intended to do for which there was no fund allocation.

He said the Government had failed on the security front, charging that it mobilised troops along the border and then called them back. The BJP-led Government said that no talks would be held with Pakistan until cross-border terrorism ended and that there would be no talks at SAARC. But talks were held.

After the Kargil war, the then American President, Bill Clinton, visited India and told the joint session of Parliament that the "Kargil war ended not because of your but our actions."

He said that the country was known for its independent foreign policy but the external relations of this Government were being dictated by the U.S.

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