The Hindu : Congress lacks farsightedness: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 21, 2003

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Congress lacks farsightedness: PM

New Delhi Nov. 20. Accusing the Congress of lacking "farsightedness," the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today said the party should remain out of power for a "longer" period so that it could learn to behave as a responsible Opposition.

Attacking the party at an election meeting in West Delhi, the Prime Minister said the Congress still felt that it was ruling the country. "The Congress has not learnt to remain out of power. They should remain out of power for a longer period so that it learns how to work as a responsible Opposition," he said.

"The Congress does not have farsightedness," Mr. Vajpayee said adding that the Congress-ruled Delhi was still facing a number of problems such as scarcity of water, power, good roads and communication facilities. "Even after remaining in power for five years, roads in Delhi are in a bad shape.

"I have been to so many capitals but when I come back here, I feel sad." The minimum needs of the people were not being fulfilled.

Referring to the violent incidents in Assam and Bihar, he said that job opportunities were limited and the number of aspirants was high. The Government jobs would not solve the purpose and there was a need for generation of self-employment, he said.

Appealing to the people to elect a Government which understands its responsibility and goes hand-in-hand with the Centre to take Delhi on the path of prosperity and development, Mr. Vajpayee said there should not be any friction between the Centre and the States.

The Congress Government in Delhi "failed" to provide the basic minimum facilities to the people as it had no farsightedness. "It has always tried to serve its own interest and was not worried about the people," he charged.

Observing that there were so many non-Congress Governments in the States, Mr. Vajpayee said no one had imagined how a non-Congress Government at the Centre would last its full term. The Congress had always tried to destabilise such a Government, he said.

Mr. Vajpayee said the BJP sought the support of other parties and forged a successful coalition Government at the Centre which not only provided stability to the country but also to the economy.

Without naming Pakistan, Mr. Vajpayee said that India had effectively checked all those who had been misleading Muslim countries on the Kashmir issue. This was quite evident when he visited a Muslim country (Syria) recently.

He said he told the leaders there that in India, all citizens were treated equally and there was no discrimination.

PTI

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