Rahul takes on Advani

Launching his poll campaign in Jharkhand and Bihar, Congress general secretary Rahul
Gandhi on Wednesday hit back at BJP for attacking the UPA government on national security issue and said it was the Manmohan Singh government which "silenced" Pakistan after Mumbai terror attack.

''The constant pressure mounted by the Manmohan Singh government has silenced Pakistan,'' he said taking on BJP prime ministerial candidate LK Advani for his attack on the UPA government on the terrorism issue.

He accused BJP it of having succumbed to terror in the Kandahar plane hijack episode.

"In every election, BJP targets Congress over terrorism and corruption. The BJP-led government knelt before terrorists during the Kandahar plane hijack incident. They have no right to criticise the UPA government (on terrorism)," the Gandhi scion said.

"In Bihar, the NREGS launched for economic uplift of the poor living in far-flung areas of the country has virtually failed to take off mired as its execution is in corruption",
Rahul charged.

Congress has always stood by the poor in "thick and thin but BJP never speaks for the poor and forgets them once election is over," he said in Lohardagga.

''Our attempt will be to step up developmental work and stand by the poor,'' he said.