New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi termed the Narendra Modi-led government's claims on development in Gujarat as "highly exaggerated" and "hollow", and said people in the state were "looking forward to a change".
"In Gujarat promises made by the BJP over the past decade or more have turned out to be hollow. Highly exaggerated and, in some cases, false claims on development are being made," Sonia said, addressing a Congress parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting in Delhi.
"It is my impression that the people of Gujarat have seen through these hollow claims and are looking forward for a change," she said.
In Gujarat, the Congress is facing a tough battle against the ruling BJP in state elections scheduled for December 11 and 16.
Gandhi pointed out that the Congress in its campaign has "re-affirmed" its commitment to fundamental constitutional and secular values.
In the first CPP meeting during the winter session of Parliament scheduled to end on Friday, Sonia condemned the violence in West Bengal's Nandigram area, where at least 35 people have been killed in clashes between activists of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist and the opposition Trinamool Congress-backed locals, over land acquisition.
"The cult of violence and the manner in which armed (CPI-M) party cadres prevented the law and order machinery from fulfilling its obligations to the people are most unfortunate. A permanent solution must be found to ensure that such incidents do not occur again and again," Sonia told party MPs.
Criticising the BJP for its "obstructionist attitude" in Parliament, Sonia said the BJP, which had stalled the parliamentary proceedings over several issues did not "appear to be interested in allowing parliament to function normally".
"I thought that with the passage of time their frustration at having lost the 2004 elections would moderate. But clearly that does not seem to be the case," she said.
She said the debate in parliament over the India-US nuclear agreement has "exposed the hollowness" of the BJP's stance on the issue.
"For the fifth time, Pranabji (Mukherjee) and the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) have reiterated that the agreement in no way impinges on our national sovereignty and parliament will be kept fully informed at every step."
Interestingly, Sonia did not refer to the criticism by her Left allies over the agreement.
Comments
0 comment