Vajpayee displays devotees

A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi hit out at the BJP, Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee came out with a repartee, ridiculing her 8216;...

A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi hit out at the BJP, Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee came out with a repartee, ridiculing her 8216;8216;garib ke saath8217;8217; slogan and daring her to declare her stand vis-a-vis coalitions.

The attack was just appropriate given the fact that Vajpayee was celebrating the completion of his Government8217;s five years in office at an NDA rally at the Indira Gandhi stadium here. While the PM dwelt on a wide range of issues, BJP leaders and its allies pitched in with their shares.

While Delhi BJP president Madan Lal Khurana presented Vajpayee with a gold plate in the centre of which was engraved a sketch of the PM in silver and later touched his feet, Haryana Chief Minister and INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala described himself as Vajpayee8217;s 8216;8216;devotee bhakt8217;8217;.

Dy PM L.K. Advani declared that Vajpayee would be the prime minister for many more years. So did NDA convenor George Fernandes. BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan said the NDA would fight the next elections under the leadership of Vajpayee, 8216;8216;who would outmatch the record of Nehru and Indira Gandhi as prime minister.8217;8217;

Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee was seated with BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu in the front row. She presented the PM with a white flower, signifying perhaps complete peace between her party and the BJP.

The PM, alluding to the old Congress slogan of 8216;8216;garibi hatao8217;8217;, noted in jest that 8216;8216;we had thought that poverty had been eliminated. How come it is back now? Yeh vaapas kahan se aa gayi?8217;8217;

He said the Congress wanted alliances but could not find any allies. He said, 8216;8216;As in Maharashtra, the Congress should enter into an alliance in other states also.8217;8217; He asked Sonia to spell out her stand on tie-ups with other parties.

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The PM asserted that his government will not come under pressure from anyone. 8216;8216;While we do not want Iraq to lose its freedom, we practise diplomacy also.8217;8217; He denied a report stating that US President Bush had sought military support from India, which he had refused. 8216;8216;Neither have I been approached nor have I refused,8217;8217; he maintained.