The Hindu : National : Sonia blasts BJP, Advani for questioning PM

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Sonia blasts BJP, Advani for questioning PM

Sushanta Talukdar

‘Manmohan did not make a noise, shout or scream but pressured Pakistan to own up Mumbai attack’

Guwahati: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday made a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its prime ministerial candidate, L.K Advani, for questioning the courage and capability of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in handling terrorism.

Addressing election rallies in Meghalaya’s capital, Shillong, the southern Assamese town of Silchar and Arunachal Pradesh’s capital, Itanagar, Ms. Gandhi claimed that unlike the BJP and the NDA, the Prime Minister, in the face of terror attacks in Mumbai and Delhi, “did not make a noise, shout or scream,” but through diplomatic pressure he got Pakistan to admit that the Mumbai attackers were the citizens of that country.

Reacting to Mr. Advani’s accusation that Dr. Singh was “weak” in fighting terrorism, Ms. Gandhi said Dr. Singh’s sober and adept handling of the post-26/11 scenario not only yielded results but also earned international recognition.

“This never happened before, which is purely because of our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an individual of high integrity and experience, who will never compromise with the security of our nation,” Ms. Gandhi said. She asserted that the Congress was the only party which could provide a strong, stable and secure government and protect the democratic and secular values in the country.

She pointed out that during the NDA period, when Mr. Advani was Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, a certain terrorist was captured and jailed, but for some reason “was released and escorted as a guest to Afghanistan. From there he went to Pakistan and planned attacks against India, including attacks on the Indian Parliament.”

“Can you trust this person fighting terrorism?” Ms. Gandhi asked.

Policy of hatred

Accusing the BJP of indulging in the politics of hatred, Ms. Gandhi alleged in her speech at the Shillong rally: “Their politics is based on the policy of purely creating hatred among people of different faiths and communities; they are controlled by fundamentalist and communal forces, and their activities have created sufferings in Orissa, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other places.”

She lashed out at certain small political parties and groups for “shifting loyalties and following a narrow and divisive agenda” and urged voters to reject these parties and vote the Congress back to power with a huge mandate.

Addressing the Silchar rally, seeking vote for her party candidate and Union Minister of Heavy Industries Santosh Mohan Dev, Ms. Gandhi refuted the allegation by the BJP and its ally, the Asom Gana Parishad, that the Congress did nothing for Assam’s development.

She said the AGP and the BJP were not even born when the Congress unfolded development activities in the State.

Elections 2009 — Comprehensive coverage

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