Sonia slams PM for no consensus on Women’s Bill

Speaking to thousands of rural women 110 kms from Raipur, the Congress president said: ‘‘If late Rajiv Gandhi conceived the idea of women empowerment and introduced 33 per cent reservation for them, Indira Gandhi herself was a symbol of woman power within and outside India.’’

Referring to yesterday’s all-party meeting on the controversial Bill, she said: ‘‘The Prime Minister and the NDA are actually responsible for lack of consensus on the Bill.’’

Sonia charged the Vajpayee Government of betraying the people of this country, particularly the farmers and youth. She criticised the Union Budget, which, she said would impose an additional burden on the already overburdened farmers due to hike in fertiliser and diesel prices.

In her one-day trip to the state, her first one after the Congress’ victory in Himachal Pradesh, Sonia laid the foundation stone for the ambitious ultra-modern state capital project 26 km from Raipur and also inaugurated the state’s first sugar mill — commissioned in record 10 months’ time.

Addressing a rally at new capital project site, Sonia launched a scathing attack against the BJP for divisive politics, which she said, was threatening disintegration. That’s why, she said, the Congress’ support base is increasing.

‘‘The Congress is well on the resurgent path and the recent Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya are an indication of this,’’ she added.

The Congress president said the country had been pushed to serious financial crisis and unemployment has assumed alarming proportions because of the Centre’s wrong policies.