Attacking the BJP for ‘‘not fulfilling” election promises, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today accused the NDA government of discriminating against the Congress-ruled states. Addressing election meetings at Bilaspur and Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, Sonia said the BJP had promised employment to one crore people every year but it ‘‘betrayed the trust of people.”‘‘The number of unemployed youth had increased, farmers were committing suicide and inflation was on the rise,” she said, and accused the saffron party of trying to divert the attention of people from its failures by launching the ‘‘India shining” campaign.Claiming that the pace of development had accelerated after the Congress was voted to power in Himachal, Sonia assured that her party would not go back on its words and not discriminate with other state governments once elected to power. Keeping an eye on the Dalit votes, who have a large presence in Doaba region, during her rallies in Punjab, she reminded people that it was the Congress, which had given the benefit of reservation to them. Later, it was during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as the PM that seats were reserved for women and Dalits in panchayats.Praising farmers of Punjab for their leading role in agricultural sector, she said even peasants had not been provided any relief by the NDA government.In Jalandhar, Sonia accused the BJP of ‘‘saffronising education and poisoning the minds of young generation” as part of its ‘‘hidden agenda”. Wrapping up her electioneering in Punjab, she alleged that ‘‘by distorting history books and saffronising education in schools, colleges and universities, the communal forces of BJP wanted to poison the minds of young generation.” Accusing the BJP and its allies of ‘‘discarding” all values in politics and governance, at a rally in Phagwara, Sonia sought to make a qualitative distinction between the successive Congress governments and the Vajpayee dispensation saying ‘‘there is a world of difference between the two.” ‘‘BJP and its allies, including the SAD, have discarded all values both in politics and governance. They used politics for protecting and promoting their own interests,” she alleged addressing an election meeting here. ‘‘Hollow slogans will not lead to development. Honesty and strong will are required for reforms and prosperity of common man. If you compare the Congress governments at the Centre with the present NDA regime, you will find a world of difference,” Sonia said. ‘‘The present regime has to go. People have no choice but to usher in a change,” she said and asked people to repose their confidence in Congress. ‘‘Peace is a pre-requisite for development. Divisive elements promoting self-interest under the garb of politics cannot provide it,” she said.
