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Journalism of Courage
BALLIA, AUG 19: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today gave a fervent call for uprooting the BJP-led Government at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a large gathering here, Sonia struck an easy rapport with the crowd which waited for her for more than three hours in sweltering heat. This was Sonia’s maiden visit to Ballia after becoming Congress president and it was perhaps the largest crowd she has ever addressed in Uttar Pradesh.
“They (the BJP) are not capable of running the Government and blame the Congress for everything. While the fact is that they could not even provide security to the Amarnath pilgrims,” she said. She added that “such an event was unprecedented. We will have to resolve to change the present scenario as the country’s integrity is at stake”.
Linking the past with the present, the Congress president said that those who participated in the freedom struggle did not make sacrifices to to see the country in such a bad shape. “Our freedom fighters never dreamt for such a scenario as is prevailing in the country. Criminals are getting political asylum while the state government is fulfilling the needs of its ministers. The scenario at the Centre is no different,” she pointed out.
In what was a apparently a direct warning to the BJP, Sonia said no one had the right to divide the society on community and caste lines. “The governments at the Centre and the state are running without any ideology,” she claimed.
The rally was also seen as an exercise by the Congress leadership to demonstrate that there were no differences between the party’s senior leaders, particularly Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Salman Khusheed and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Jitendra Prasada.
However, both Khursheed and Prasada failed to display a camaraderie. “There is no groupism but difference of opinion is there,” Prasada said in an informal chat with journalists, hinting that despite formation of the 1-0-member coordination committee to look into party affairs in the state, the senior party leaders will not bury the hatchet.
However, elated with the massive turnout at the rally, Sonia did not pay heed to the visible strain in the state party unit. “People are fed up with present-day politics. I am trying to follow the politics of ideology and principles and am ready to face any challenge provided I get your support,” she appealed.
The crowd too responded quickly by raising a unified voice — Sonia tum sangarsh karo, him tumhare sath hain (You carry on your struggle, we are with you).
People turned up from neighbouring districts, and even from Bihar which borders the district. Two Cabinet ministers from the Rabri Devi government — Vijay Shankar and Ashok Ram — among a galaxy of state leaders sank their differences and presented a united face at the rally.
