The Hindu : Congress rule will give women real empowerment: Sonia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 13, 2004

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National

Congress rule will give women real empowerment: Sonia

By W. Chandrakanth

VIJAYAWADA, MARCH 12. Terming the National Democratic Alliance governance a "sham," the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today accused it of pursuing policies "that have led to starvation deaths and suicides by farmers."

"It is a saga of corruption, broken promises and inhuman privatisation policy. The all-enveloping darkness will soon give way to hope," she said, addressing a meeting here on Friday.

Enthused by the response of the gathering on the third and last day of her campaign in the South, Ms. Gandhi said the NDA rule was a coalition of "anti-people and communal forces." The agricultural sector, carefully nurtured over four decades, was in a shambles. The Government was not even prepared to own responsibility for the suicides of farmers, which was an indication of its "callousness," she charged.

She said the NDA Government had ushered in an era of social inequality and regional imbalances leading to lopsided growth. Scoffing at the "miserable performance," she reminded the people of the "good old Indiramma raj." She said the only agenda of the Congress was to convert India into a "strong, united and harmonious" country.

Ms. Gandhi charged the NDA with resorting to reckless privatisation of profit-making public sector industries, thereby curbing employment opportunities. She said a Congress government could make all the difference to the youth.

Voicing concern over the plight of women, Ms. Gandhi asked them to get ready for real empowerment under Congress rule. She urged the people to "throw out" the BJP-led coalition at the Centre and the Telugu Desam Party Government in Andhra Pradesh, which is "equally responsible for all the ills."

Ms. Gandhi later left for Hyderabad en route to Delhi. Her three-day whirlwind tour of Andhra Pradesh included three public meetings in the three regions of Andhra Pradesh, besides the road shows.

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