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We'll fight bigotry of every kind: Sonia

By Javed M. Ansari

NEW DELHI DEC. 19. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today committed her party to a uncompromising battle against the forces of communalism and bigotry "of every kind''.

Addressing the members of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), Ms. Gandhi said: "We will combat them uncompromisingly and with all our strength''.

Ms. Gandhi's remarks, the first after the Gujarat elections, are significant as they are an attempt to reiterate unambiguously the Congress' stand on communalism. The party had come in for some criticism for "diluting" its stand during the Gujarat election campaign in the wake of a strident campaign by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar.

Ms. Gandhi dwelt at length on the elections and the events in Gujarat. Accepting the people's verdict, she pulled no punches when it came to the BJP and the VHP. "We were confronted and battled forces that respected no rules, who observed no limits and showed no qualms in preaching virulent hatred and spreading poison,'' Ms. Gandhi said.

Urging her colleagues not to be "despondent" about the Gujarat results, she referred to the 38 per cent votes polled by the Congress, despite the "virulent campaign" of the BJP-VHP combine. She promised to identify and rectify the party's weaknesses and urged her party activists to use this as an opportunity for the electoral challenges that lie ahead.

She called on the Congress-ruled State Governments to remain vigilant in order to prevent "the communal virus from spreading''. For the States ruled by her party, she said it would be a combination of good governance, effective communications, quick responses to local crises and skilful political management that would defeat the "so-called anti-incumbency factor".

Referring to the Supreme Court's requirement of the disclosure of information by candidates, Ms. Gandhi said the Government was interested only in diluting the Supreme Court's directives. "The Bill pushed through by the Government defeats the objective of respecting the right of the voter to know the antecedents of the candidate.''

She complimented the MPs for articulating the party's views clearly on vital issues such as drought, internal security, the acute distress of farmers and disinvestment. "The Government was not forthcoming with satisfactory responses,'' she said. On several issues such as the JPC report and the UTI scam and the Tehelka issue, the Congress had been able to expose the Government's "incompetence".

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