The Hindu : NDA Govt. has no concern for weaker sections: Sonia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2003

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National

NDA Govt. has no concern for weaker sections: Sonia

By Lalit Shastri

INDORE SEPT. 29. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today described the BJP-led Central Government as a ``disaster''.

Addressing a `women's empowerment convention' organised by the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress here, Ms. Gandhi said the ``corrupt'' BJP-led Central Government was ``highly communal'' and not bothered about the welfare of the weaker sections. It had undermined the country's security.

Women should understand the weaknesses of the BJP and its allies and support the Congress, which she said, was not just a political party, but an ideology committed to the cause of the masses.

``It is unfortunate that a party like the BJP is spreading hatred as a result of which people are getting killed.''

Referring to the Gujarat riots, she said the Best Bakery tragedy was a blot on humanity. The Congress, she said, had raised its voice against that in Parliament and other fora and now the Supreme Court had vindicated its stand.

She urged the people of Madhya Pradesh to teach a lesson to the communal and disruptive elements in the coming elections.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, said that the biggest challenge before the party was ``how to make Ms. Gandhi the next Prime Minister''.

In her introductory remarks, the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress president, Shobha Ojha, said ``one is seeing the reflection of Goddess Durga in Ms. Gandhi''.

The convention was attended by thousands of women drawn from village-level self-help groups.

Earlier today, Ms. Gandhi laid the foundation stone of a 500 MW thermal power unit at Birsinghpur in Umaria district in eastern Madhya Pradesh.

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