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Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

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National

NDA failed to fulfil promises: Sonia

By Mohammed Iqbal

RAJSAMAND (RAJASTHAN), APRIL 27. Questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party's attempt to dismiss the Gujarat carnage as an exception and an isolated event, the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today said the gruesome violence in Gujarat was a glaring instance of the BJP's core ideology posing a threat to social unity and communal harmony in the country. ``The BJP has always encouraged the elements out to divide society,'' she said.

Addressing an election rally in this town in southern Rajasthan, Ms. Gandhi said the BJP had tried to vitiate the atmosphere and disturb communal amity in Rajasthan too in 2002 shortly after the Gujarat carnage, but the people and the then Congress-led Government in the State did not allow it to succeed in its designs.

Ms. Gandhi's observations assume significance in this tribal-dominated region of Rajasthan that borders Gujarat. She said the Congress party had always taken care of Dalits, tribals and marginalised sections of society. ``It was Congress that brought the Panchayati Raj amendments to ensure the participation of weaker sections in governance,'' she said.

She accused the National Democratic Alliance Government of failing to fulfil its promises. ``What happened to its tall promises of creating one-crore jobs every year, providing a clean administration and keeping the prices of essential commodities under control?'' she asked while asserting that the common man was feeling cheated by the BJP and its alliance partners.

Incidentally, the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, while addressing a public meeting at the same venue — Vitthal Vilas Bagh — here on Monday had defended his Government on these counts and termed these accusations of Congress as ``false and baseless''.

Ms. Gandhi said while the farmers and rural entrepreneurs were at the receiving end because of constant rise in the prices of diesel and urea, the educated youth were feeling frustrated due to the decrease in employment opportunities as a result of the Government's economic policies and the sale of public sector undertakings at ``throw-away prices''.

Ms. Gandhi came down heavily on the BJP for ``wasting crores of rupees'' on its publicity campaign making false claims and raising irrelevant issues. ``When Rajasthan was suffering because of drought during the past three years, the Centre did not come forward with adequate assistance despite repeated requests made by the then Congress-led Government in the State,'' she said.

As against the BJP's actions of ``opportunism, misleading the people and generating a hype on irrelevant issues,'' the Congress lived by its ideals and its leaders and rank and file could sacrifice their lives for the noble causes promoted by the party, Ms. Gandhi affirmed. She promised that the Congress, if elected to power, would work for promoting social unity and economic progress and for raising the standard of life of the people in remote villages and small towns.

The Congress candidate from Udaipur Lok Sabha constituency alleged that Mr. Vajpayee had violated the model code of conduct by announcing a package worth Rs. 1-crore for development of Haldi Ghati during his address at the public meeting in the town on Monday.

Ms. Gandhi addressed the public meetings at Dausa and Dungarpur earlier in the day before coming to Rajsamand. The All-India Congress Committee general secretary, Mohsina Kidwai, accompanied her. The Leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly, B.D. Kalla, the former Chief Minister, Heeralal Deopura, and the party leaders, C.P. Joshi and Gulab Singh Shaktawat, were also present.

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