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Sunday, Sep 25, 2005

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NCP leader defends Indira Gandhi

Staff Reporter

Congressmen mum as BJP members launch attack on the former Prime Minister

NEW DELHI: Even as Congress legislators watched everything in silence, it was left to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri to defend the role and prestige of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who was attacked by Bharatiya Janata Party members inside the Delhi Assembly over allegations that the former Prime Minister had links with the Russian intelligence agency KGB.

When the BJP members led by the party's Delhi unit president Harsh Vardhan made a scathing attack on the former Prime Minister, the Congress benches, including Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her Ministerial colleagues watched the unfolding scenario sitting in silence and refrained from uttering a word in protest. Certain references to Congress president Sonia Gandhi also went undefended by the treasury benches taking everybody inside the House by surprise. Notwithstanding the division within the Congress ranks, they have always been prompt in rebutting any adverse reference made against their former or present leadership in the past.

However, on this occasion all the Congress MLAs sat in silence and let off the BJP members without uttering a single word. It was then that Mr. Bidhuri, a close associate of the former Prime Minister, got up and lashed out at the BJP leaders for making baseless allegations against Indira Gandhi who he said was a respected leader known for her leadership qualities not only in India but also abroad.

Mr. Bidhuri's remarks sprang the Congress benches to life and everybody started thumping the desks supporting what Mr. Bidhuri had stated about their leader.

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