By IANS,
Patna : Ridiculing the launch of various alliances ahead of the general elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Saturday only her party was capable of providing a stable and efficient government and termed Manmohan Singh a strong prime minister.
Gandhi targeted senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani for terming Manmohan Singh a weak prime minister.
Gandhi pointed out that when Advani was home minister, India witnessed a number of terrorist attacks – from the one on the parliament complex to that on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar – and his cabinet colleague Jaswant Singh had accompnied a group of terrorists to Afghanistan, setting them free in return for the passengers of a hijacked airliner.
“Advani should think all this before blaming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” she said in her address at an election rally in the Jamui Lok Sabha constituency, about 200 km from here.
It was her first election meeting in Bihar ahead of the first phase of polls on April 16 for 13 of the state’s 40 seats.
She praised Manmohan Singh for his successful diplomatic response to terrorism that “exposed and isolated Pakistan” before the world.
“Only the Congress party is capable of providing a stable and efficient government with a strong prime minister,” Gandhi said.
Without naming either the Third Front or the ‘fourth front’ – which comprises Congress allies Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Gandhi said no party except the Congress was in a position to lead a front ahead of elections and, if necessary, afterwards.
She also told the people not to be misled by such political fronts and their leaders. “Jitne morcha, utne neta aur utne PM candidates (a lot of fronts, as many leaders and as many prime ministerial candidates),” she said in Hindi.
She also reiterated that the Congress is committed to overall development and prosperity of all without discriminating on the basis of caste and community.