Karimnagar, Apr 8: Congress president, Sonia Gandhi who was campaigning in Karimnagar criticised BJP's Prime Ministrial candidate L K Advani for calling Manmohan Singh a 'weak PM'. She retorted that it was Advani who performed low while serving as a Deputy PM and Home Minister during NDA's term.

"Advani considers himself to be brave on the issue of terrorism, but as the Home Minister and deputy Prime Minister he gave a send-off to dreaded terrorists as guests and the same terrorists carried out attacks on our parliament and in various parts of the country. The same person is today accusing us of being soft," she said addressing a public meeting in Vijayanagaram, Andhra Pradesh.

Sonia Gandhi alluded to the Dec 1999 Kandhar Hijack, wherein Advani handed over the terrorists. Along with the hijacking incident, Sonia Gandhi also referred to the incompetance of L K Advani to deal with many terrorist attacks when he was a Home Minister. Defending Manmohan Singh, against the allegations made by BJP, she called him a man of integrity. Sonia further said Congress was never 'soft on terror' and reminded the people of how party leaders like Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi lost their lives fighting terrorism.

She named the achievements of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, waiver of farmers' loans, the mid-day meal scheme, scholarships to students of weaker sections, the Indo-US nuclear deal and even the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks probe, and asked the people to decide on who should lead the country and the states.

OneIndia News