The Hindu : National : NDA treated terrorists as guests, says Sonia Gandhi

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Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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NDA treated terrorists as guests, says Sonia Gandhi

Farukkhabad (U.P.): Ridiculing the BJP’s “soft on terror” charges, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that while the Congress “effectively and firmly” countered terrorism, the BJP-led NDA government “treated terrorists like guests” and released them in their own country.

She was addressing an election rally here in support of the party nominee Salman Khursheed.

“The entire country knows that Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi laid down their lives for the nation’s sake,” she said, adding the party handled the terror issue “with an iron fist.” The Congress president asked the BJP to stop “preaching on terrorism and instead introspect on its own failures.”

Ms. Gandhi took a dig at the NDA’s “India Shining” slogan during the previous elections. “When farmers were facing a tough situation and the future of youth was in the dark, the BJP saw India as shining.”

“The BJP had made a lot of promises during earlier elections but it failed to deliver,” she charged, adding it was the Congress which entered the election arena with the issue of turning India into a developed and strong nation.

While lauding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ms. Gandhi said the Congress-led UPA government “did not allow” global meltdown to affect the economy.

“When the entire world is facing slowdown and recession, the Indian economy has no impact of meltdown. We have emerged as a strong economy under the prime ministership of Manmohan Singh.”

“Some parties are limiting these elections to trading allegations. People have experienced their rule. They [people] gave chance to other parties [than the Congress], but the growth rate of the country declined,” Ms. Gandhi said.

She also attacked the Uttar Pradesh government, alleging that corruption was at its peak under the Bahujan Samaj Party rule. — PTI

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