THE TIMES OF INDIA
NEW DELHI: Saturday, February 28, 2004
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday appeared anxious not to jeopardise the possibility of forging an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party by retaliating against Mayawati’s assault on Thursday. While the Dalit Adhikar Sammelan of the All India SC/ST Railway Employees Association provided her a fitting forum for mounting a counter attack, Gandhi pulled her punches.
While Mayawati had called Congress manuvadi, Gandhi restricted her attack to an oblique dig at the BSP. She deprecated individuals opening shops, even starting political parties for personal benefits. Although the remark appeared to be aimed against Mayawati, she did not name any body. She said the activities of these “individuals” only benefited themselves “Logon ko fayda nahin hota.” The only answer to this was for like minded forces to come together.
Gandhi called upon the youth to speak up against injustice.
THE PIONEER
NEW DELHI: Saturday, February 28, 2004
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday, in an obvious appeal to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati, said “there was a need for forces fighting for social justice and equality to come together.” Ms. Sonia was speeking at a rally at the Ambedkar Stadium in the capital on Friday, hosted by Congress backed All India SC/ST Railway Employees Association.
Ms. Gandhi’s statement assumes significance coming as it did a day after BSP president Mayawati made a statement that the Congress suffered from anti-Dalit bias. “All those who are fighting against injustice and atrocities on the poor in the country must unite to provide social justice and equality for all section of the society said Ms. Gandhi. While addressing a crowd of more than 5,000 people from across the country. Ms Gandhi appealed to all like minded parties to contest the forthcoming General Elections on a single platform.
The Congress President, accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, received great applause from the gathering when she made a scathing remark on the Central Government for presenting “distorted” facts regarding the performance of previous governments.
Asserting that socialism was introduced in India by Jawaharlal Nehru. Ms. Gandhi further said, “it was Nehru who introduced the Five year plans in the country to make the nation self reliant in every field. Big industries were established across the country that provided youth with greater opportunities of employment. These industries, which became a barometer of India’s development, are now being sold whereby the NDA Government has to its credit making employed persons unemployed.”
Paying tribute to her mother in law late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Ms. Gandhi in chaste Hindi. Ms. Gandhi said, “agar kisi ke dil mein garibon ke liye sachchi shradha rahi hai to wo thi Indira Gandhi”(Only Indira Gandhi had a real dedication to serve the poor).
“Years before Independence while Congress was not a political party but a party in the freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi started working for the welfare of the Harijans, Adivasis and the downtrodden of the country”, the Congress President said.
Remembering Dr.Bhimrao Ambedkar on the occasion, she emphasised that Dr.Ambedkar worked for the welfare of the SC/ST and backward sections of the society as propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. “One should not forget that the policies of welfare was always advocated by the Congress Party” she remarked to the gathering amidst slogans “Desh ka Pradhan Mantri Kaisa ho? Sonia Gandhi jaisa ho.” (The Prime Minister of the country should be like Sonia Gandhi).
HINDUSTAN TIMES
NEW DELHI: Saturday, February 28, 2004
New Delhi, February 27: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday urged all like minded forces fighting against injustice and atrocities on the poor to join hands.
Sonia referred to Bhimrao Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and their contribution towards the uplift of SCs-STs. She, however, did not mention the BSP by name in her short speech to the SC-ST Employees Association in New Delhi on Friday nor react to Mayawati’s recent diatribe against the Congress.
The Congress president hit out at the ruling coalition for disinvesting PSUs, falling to provide employment and “robbing the SC and STs of their jobs.
