By IANS,
Gorakhpur : Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Sunday said those who did not have any other issue were raising the issue of terrorism.
The BJP, before accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, should also remember the riots during the tenure of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, she said addressing a rally in the Bansgaon constituency in Gorkhpur district, 300 km from Lucknow.
“Advani, before pointing a finger at us, should recollect that the attack on parliament took place during the regime of the NDA besides the communal riots in Gujarat,” she said at the rally during her tour of the state’s Poorvanchal area.
She also noted he was the same person who was the home minister when his cabinet colleague had escorted terrorists to Kandahar and now is “nurturing his dreams of becoming the prime minister of the country.”
Gandhi mentioned that Gorakhpur was the same place where the then British rulers lodged a case against Jawaharlal Nehru in 1940.
“A case was lodged against him (Nehru) in 1940 after which he was sentenced to an imprisonment for four years. This – the land of Lord Mahavir and Gautam Buddha – has contributed significantly to the freedom of the country,” she said.
The Congress chief made it a point to highlight the achievements of the UPA government in her speech at a rally in Salempur region of Deoria district.
“Our government has waved off the loans of 71,000 farmers besides implementing the mid-day meal scheme. Besides, we have done a lot for the education of the people of the country and empowerment of women,” she said in her address at Salempur.
“Political parties today are asking for your vote in the name of caste and creed. I would only like to request you to vote for a party that has ensured development in the country,” she said.