BJP, A PARTY WHICH "SETS INDIANS AGAINST INDIANS", CHARGES SONIA AT GOA RALLY
PANAJI (Goa), May 23: Resurgent from the party's recent upswing and hoping for positive results from Goa, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi took a hard-line stance against the BJP, calling it a party which "sets Indians against Indians, and practises the politics of hate". Speaking at a well attended party rally in Goa, prior to this state's critical May 30 polls, Sonia said the Congress would support efforts to tackle "cross-border terrorism", but added that Indians needed "to be aware of those unprincipled elements who may bring more divisions in our society, among our people". Blasting the BJP soundedly, she charged that that party "and its ideological partner, the RSS have so wilfully trampled on the principles which we cherish -- including democracy and secular republicanism which were the guiding notions set up by our Constitution's founding fathers". Mrs Gandhi's strong comments in Goa came a day before a crucial party meet scheduled for Delhi, even as the country is caught up with worries over a possible war with Pakistan over the issue of terrorism in the northern state of Kashmir. She hit out at the BJP for going against "democracy" and bringing down, thoughr defections, the Congress government in Goa which had secured the majority to rule in the last June 1999 elections. "They brought down their own government (headed by Manohar Parrikar, fearing an impending party revolt) and wrongly dissolved the assembly," she added, referring to the controversial moves of Governor Mohd Fazal. She accused the BJP for running a "partisan government at the Centre". Sonia Gandhi added: "In few states they rule, they are making a mockery of the principle of equality for all citizens. BJP looks at different religions, different classes, different castes in a different way." "Recent events have exposed how the RSS and their allies have tarnished the land of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Gujarat has been an assault on basic human values. Efforts were made to spread hatred among different communities", she added. "BJP is capable in only one area -- doublespeak. (The Prime Minister) said something here about a certain community. They went to Delhi and changed it. The mask they put on their face keeps slipping off," a combatative Sonia added. She was speaking at the very same Campal Grounds, an under-utilised sporting centre and its annexe on Panaji's outskirts, where Prime Minister Vajpayee had made his controversial speech about Muslims and terrorism during the BJP's national executive in Goa last month. Said Sonia: "These are the people who talk about morality in public life. There is no morality among them -- in New Delhi, Goa or whereever the BJP is in government. It's better they stop giving the Congress party lectures on morality. We know where they stand." Sonia stressed that the Congress was in power in 14 of India's 28 states. "In Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, Maharashtra, MP, Chattishgarh, Punjab, Delhi, Uttranchal, Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur and elsewhere, we are doing our best to see that the needs of the people are addressed," she said. She added that May 30's Goa elections -- incidentally the first after the Gujarat carnage, which earned the BJP a lot of flak -- were "very crucial for Goa and very crucial for the Congress party". Lacing her brief speech with a sharp push to the voters in Goa to back the Congress, Mrs Gandhi argue that the "history of modern Goa is very closerly interlinked with the Congress party". She said it was her party that took the "decisive step" in ending Portuguese rule here in 1961, while "my mother-in-law" Indira Gandhi had decided on the Opinion Poll (where the people voted against merger with nearby Maharashtra), and also Konkani had been granted national language status by Rajiv Gandhi. "Wise people of Goa will vote in favour of religious tolerance and communal harmony, which is so deeply rooted here. I am sure they will vote to promote and maintain social peace and amity," she said. (ENDS) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ To unsubscribe from Goanews Send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: 'unsubscribe goanews'
