Congress only can provide stable government – Sonia Gandhi

By: Ravinder Makhaik

Shimla: Advocating for a strong central government, Sonia Gandhi, congress president here stated that congress was the only party that could provide a stable government and face the grave external and internal dangers threatening the nation.

Speaking at her maiden election rally in Himachal, the UPA chairperson harped upon stability as the need of the hour which other parties or fronts are unable to provide.

“Unconcerned of the country’s developments,” she said, “every leader in the third front is only aspiring to become Prime Minister.”

She said, “given the constraints under which congress formed the UPA government, five years ago, the party has come close to delivering on most electoral commitments it had made.”

Taking a dig at NDA’s track record in tackling challenges posed by terrorist, she said, “we all recall that wanted terrorists languishing in Indian jails were treated like guest and escorted by a NDA minister to Khandhar. Since then, one of them has founded the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the organisation responsible for many terrorist attacks on our country.”

“Congress leaders have sacrificed their lives fighting terrorism,” said Sonia. “We don’t need a certificate from anybody on this,” she thundered away.

We seek support on the basis of our unwavering principals, said Sonia

Trashing state BJP leaders allegation that Himachal was discriminated against by the UPA government, the congress president termed it as ‘false propaganda’ claiming that “no state in the country had been side stepped to take the country on the growth path.”

Compared to Rs 13,000 crore provided by the NDA government to the state, the UPA had devolved Rs 23,000 crores, she claimed.

She said that the technological revolution was ushered in the country, be it introducing computers or rolling out mobile telephones, were part of the vision congress has for putting the country up among the comity of nations.

Touching the removal of PTA teachers, she said that the BJP government in the state had removed thousands of teachers at a time when there was urgent need to provide jobs for the unemployed.

Counting the projects allocated by the centre to the state, Sonia named the new engineering college to be set up by public sector companies Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), NHPC & NTPC in Bilaspur, the IIT engineering institute and ESI medical college in Mandi and the central university in Kangra.

Earlier, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh who is in the fray from Mandi seat said that congress up fighting the state government, government machinery and liquor, mining and contractor mafia who have been let loose by the ruling party in the state.

Others who addressed the rally in presence of Sonia Gandhi included Thakur Kaul Singh, Vidya Stokes and Dhani Ram Shandil. Anand Sharma, minister of state for external affairs addressed the gathering before the congress president arrived.