National

Vajpayee flays Sonia's remarks

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MAY 1.

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today took strong exception to the reported statement by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, at a meeting in Porbander, that "Gandhi's Gujarat was being turned into Godse's Gujarat". He also noted that after her appeal in the Lok Sabha yesterday he had hoped that she too would rise above partisan party politics.

The Congress, however, stuck to its charge that the Sangh Parivar, of which the Bharatiya Janata Party was a member, was "attempting to" convert the Mahatma's State to that of Godse through the spread of its "hate politics". That was clear from the turn of events in Gujarat, the Congress spokesman, Jaipal Reddy, said.

Here is the full text of Mr. Vajpayee's statement:

"I take strong exception to the remark made by the Congress President, Shrimati Sonia Gandhi, in Porbandar today in which she has said that Gandhiji's Gujarat is being turned into Godse's Gujarat.

This is a gross and self-serving misrepresentation of what has happened in the State since February 27 when the Sabarmati Express was torched at Godhra. Such pronouncements hardly help in creating a consensus on national issues.

"Only yesterday, Shrimati Sonia Gandhi had said in the Lok Sabha that the time has come to go from polarisation to reconciliation and from discord to dialogue. I had welcomed this statement of the Leader of the Opposition. I had responded to her advice that I should rise above party politics, by saying that all, including the principal Opposition party, should do so and that this was necessary in the country's vital interests.

"I am surprised that, within 24 hours of her own expression of readiness to move towards dialogue and reconciliation, Shrimati Gandhi has made a statement that is intended to evoke quite the opposite effect."

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