By IANS
Jhajjar (Haryana) : United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi Sunday strongly defended the India-US nuclear deal, saying that it was required for the country’s development and cautioned people against those opposing the path-breaking agreement.
She said the nuclear deal was necessary for the country’s future requirement of power.
“The nuclear deal is necessary to keep the pace of development going. Power generation is important and central to our future requirements if we want development to take place,” Gandhi said at a mammoth rally organised by the Congress government in this Haryana town, 130 km from New Delhi.
“Some people are trying to create obstacles in the country’s path of development. They are against both development and peace. You should be on guard against them,” she said.
Gandhi patted the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government for the nuclear deal and initiating several welfare schemes for people, especially women and poor, in its over three years in office.
The Left parties backing the government have opposed the deal and threatened to withdraw support if it was operationalised.
Gandhi’s 15-minute speech in Hindi was the first clear indication that the Congress, which leads the UPA, was moving away from the Left. She has already said that her party was ready for early elections.
On Sunday, Gandhi also criticised those raking up the Ram Sethu issue and opposing the construction of a shipping canal project in the sea between India and Sri Lanka.
“The Congress has equal respect for all religions. I hope that the issue will be sorted out soon,” she said, while greeting people on the forthcoming festival season.
Earlier she laid the foundation stone of the 1,500 MW Indira Gandhi super thermal power plant to be built by 2010 at a cost of nearly Rs.80 billion. She also laid the foundation stone of the Rs.2.46 billion National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management at Kundli in Sonepat district.