Personal attacks will not deter us: Sonia

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, APRIL 14. The Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, today said that personal attacks against her and her family members would not deter the party from going ahead with the crusade to ``expose'' the truth behind the Tehelka revelations. ``We will continue with our agitation till the whole truth comes out. Tehelka opened the eyes of the people... they expect the Congress to save the country from (power) brokers.''

Addressing a largely-attended rally at the Ramlila Grounds here to mark the end of the first phase of the party's agitation to force the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led Government to step down in the wake of the Tehelka developments, Ms. Gandhi said the Vajpayee Government had ``no moral authority to continue in power . . . There is enough evidence against them''.

The cancer of corruption had afflicted every aspect of governance under the BJP-led Government. ``This Government cannot help the country to solve its serious problems and relieve the people from hunger and want,'' Ms. Gandhi said. The Congress was not after power.

``We are not in a hurry to get back to power. We are hurrying only to stop the Government from taking the country to the path of ruin.'' This was Ms. Gandhi's first public meeting after the latest offensive from the NDA Government. She chose to touch upon the topic rather indirectly on two occasions. ``We are not worried about who says what about us. It is for the Congress to take the country forward on the path of progress.''

The Congress was playing its role as a responsible Opposition by pointing out serious acts of commission and omission which affected the country's security. The same allies of the BJP in the NDA which used to criticise the Congress Governments in the past for every small thing now resent even genuine criticism from the Opposition, she said. ``The difference between truth and falsehood has vanished under the NDA rule.''

Even as Ms. Gandhi was heading towards Sanganer airport after her 15-minute speech at the end of an hour-long function, the convoy of vehicles carrying the public continued to move towards the venue. Ms. Gandhi had to stop at least half at dozen places along the way to accept the greetings of slogan- shouting party workers carrying the cutouts of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and enthused village women who were singing harvest songs in the spirit of the Baishaki festival.

The speech, which Ms. Gandhi started with paying tributes to Dr. Ambedkar, covered a whole gamut of issues including farmers problems, ills of lopsided economic reforms and the share market crash.

She said the Congress would not tolerate any attempt to tamper with the Constitution. ``Trying to bring about major changes in the Constitution would amount to insulting Dr. Ambedkar.''

Good response

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, APRIL 14. Fair weather and public response provided good cheer to the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, here today. A visibly encouraged Ms. Gandhi even clambered up the barricade to greet the crowd at the Ramlila ground after the public meeting, part of the party's Tehelka-related agitation. She also stopped several times on her way to the airport to accept greetings of partymen.

Seating arrangements at the meeting were made taking into account various groups and factions in the State unit. Senior leaders from New Delhi - Mr. Natwar Singh, Mr. Ram Niwas Mirdha and Mr. Balram Jakhar - were placed behind Ms. Gandhi, the PCC president, Dr. Girija Vyas, and the Chief Minister, Mr. Ashok Gehlot, on the dais.

Mr. Jagannath Pahadia, former Chief Minister, Mr. Nawal Kishore Sharma and Col. Sona Ram, MP, besides Mr. Prithvi Raj Chouhan and Mr. Nekhra, in-charge of organising the agitation, were also on the stage.

During Mr. Gehlot's speech, his supporters created confusion when they shouted slogans in support of him, mistaken as protest by some. This provoked another group - reportedly from Jhunjhunu district - into raising anti-Gehlot slogans.

The organisers loyalists were more concerned about ``human interference'' than the weather, as Ms. Gandhi's previous meeting in the city, in December last, had witnessed a showdown between rival groups.

All the speakers including Ms. Gandhi strongly attacked the NDA Government at the Centre and vowed to continue the agitation till the latter stepped down.

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Section  : National
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