The Hindu : Terrorism has spread under BJP rule: Sonia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 22, 2003

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National

Terrorism has spread under BJP rule: Sonia

By Sujay Mehdudia

The Congress leader, Virbhadra Singh, welcoming the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, at an election rally in Kullu on Friday. — PTI

KULLU FEB. 21 . The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today accused the Vajpayee Government of ``spreading communal poison'' and said that terrorism had raised its ugly head, spreading to various parts of the country, since the BJP-led Central Government took over at the Centre. The self-styled defenders of national security had failed to protect the lives and property of the people, a promise made during the last Lok Sabha polls, she added.

Addressing an election rally at the historic Dhalpur Grounds here, Ms. Gandhi, dressed in traditional Kullu attire and accompanied by the AICC general secretary in charge of Delhi, Mohsina Kidwai, called on the people to remove the BJP Government in Himachal Pradesh by voting for the Congress in the February 26 polls.

The BJP had come to power at the Centre on the promise of curbing terrorism and protecting the country's borders. But the nation's secular fabric was under threat from communal forces and such was the pathetic internal security situation that terrorists were striking at will in any part of the country, she alleged.

Ms. Gandhi said the life of the common man had become miserable under the ``government of scams'', which had robbed crores of people of their savings. ``When the BJP talks about corruption, it seems like a big joke. Those who have thrived and survived on corruption in public life have no right to talk about such issues. Raising such accusations against the Congress was nothing but an attempt to mislead the people.''

As for the ``tall promises'' made by the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls — including one to provide one crore jobs a year — Ms. Gandhi said the Vajpayee Government had forgotten them. ``The promise to take on corruption had given way to legalising this menace. And whenever the Congress raised the issue of corruption, baseless and malicious allegations were levelled against it to divert the attention of the people.''

Ms. Gandhi said the Dhumal Government here had failed to keep its promise to get liberal assistance from the Centre. Even assuming that this assistance had been secured, it had not reached the grassroots.

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