Sonia Gandhi termed "divisive politics" as a major challenge and warned that those using religion or caste to come to power would plunge the country into darkness.
NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of a face-off between the government and BJP over Malegaon blasts, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday termed "divisive politics" as a major challenge and warned that those using religion or caste to come to power would plunge the country into darkness.
In her first election rally in Delhi for the November 29 assembly polls, she denounced politics over terrorism, saying terrorists have no religion except to spread terror.
She asked the voters to choose between Congress, "which takes all religions and sections of the society for peace and development" and "those who are not in support of development but play divisive politics and spread fear among different
sections of the society". She, however, did not name anybody in this regard.
"Divisive politics is a major challenge before the country," Gandhi said at a well-attended rally in Mangolpuri in North West Delhi while asking the electorate of the capital to return Congress to power for the third time.
"It is the responsibility of each political party that terrorists should not be linked to any social group. Terrorists are terrorists. They have only one religion -- to spread terror in the society," the UPA Chairperson said.
"Those who create fear in the name of religion, caste or any other pretext, they may come to power for some days. But they cannot escape the responsibility of plunging the future of the country into darkness," she said.
Her comments assume significance as BJP has been attacking the government over the arrest of some Hindu figures in connection with Malegaon blasts, alleging Hindus were being targeted deliberately in view of the elections.
BJP's Prime Ministerial face L K Advani has even taken up with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the issue of sadhvi Pragya Singh, who is one of the arrested in the blasts case, and raised questions over the probe by Maharashtra police.
The Prime Minister sent National Security Adviser M K Narayanan to Advani to convince about the arrest of Pragya Singh but the senior BJP leader maintained that Maharashtra Police had not acted professionally.
Emphasising that the UPA government was fully aware of dangers posed by terrorism, Gandhi said "we consider it (terrorism) a national issue and want to take all communities with us to address the problem. We want everybody's support."
At the rally attended by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Congress president J P Agarwal and all the six party MPs of Delhi, she also talked about the Indo-US nuclear deal and the Moon mission as achievements of the Congress government at the Centre.
Hitting out at BJP, she said the saffron party wants to come to power for "itself" while Congress "wants to come to power for the people and development".
She took a dig at BJP's five-year rule in Delhi from 1993, saying it had changed three Chief Ministers during that period.
Lauding achievements of the Sheila Dikshit government, the Congress chief said it had taken Delhi on the path to development.
Despite the national capital's burgeoning population, the Congress government had strove hard to provide basic amenities to people, she said.
Referring to the country's economy, she said it was very strong and the entire world was aware of this.
Gandhi said Delhi is a "miniature" India where people from across the country come to stay and the government here has to take all care to ensure that all of them lead a respectable life.
"It is the responsibility of every government to provide basic infrastructure to people. I am happy and proud that our government has been successful to a large extent in this regard. On the basis of our achievements, we have come to you to seek your support," she said.
On the issue of regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the national capital, the Congress chief said the "Delhi government has taken concrete steps in this direction".
"The basis and rules of regularisation have been clearly mentioned in Delhi Master Plan (2021) and the vision document so that there should not be any legal hurdle in this drive", she said.
Gandhi, while seeking the support for Sheila Dikshit-led dispensation for the third time, said the government will have to take care of health, education and transport with the help of the people of the city.
"There are a lot of challenges ahead but together we can work for progress and development of the people in the city," she added.
Appreciating the Bhagidari scheme initiated by the ruling party in Delhi, the party chief said it has helped connect people with the government and ensuring better governance.
Gandhi also touched upon the issue of nuclear deal and explained how it would help the country in becoming self-reliant in the power sector.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}