The Hindu : National : Sonia asks States to stop playing politics

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 16, 2004

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National

Sonia asks States to stop playing politics

RAE BARELI, SEPT. 15. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today called upon State Governments to stop playing politics and join hands for the development of the people.

Addressing a gathering at the Feroze Gandhi Polytechnic here, on the second day of her three-day "mass-contact" programme in her parliamentary constituency, Ms. Gandhi said Uttar Pradesh could not develop because parties in power were preoccupied with politics. People wanted development and employment and were not interested in politics, she said.

Ms. Gandhi inaugurated a Java Technology Training programme at the polytechnic and said the future lay in IT and computers. — UNI

PTI reports from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra:

The Samajwadi Party today criticised Ms. Gandhi for singling out Uttar Pradesh on the law and order issue saying she should first evaluate the situation in the States ruled by her party. Addressing a poll rally at Bhiwandi in Thane district, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and party in-charge for Maharashtra, Amar Singh, assailed the Congress leadership for singling out Uttar Pradesh.

Reacting to Ms. Gandhi's recent remarks, Mr. Yadav said such observations had come even though the SP had extended unconditional support to the Congress-led UPA Government.

"We supported the Congress despite the severe insult to Amar Singh. Still, is law and order bad in U.P.? Is it not elsewhere?" he asked.

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