Menaka blames Sonia for opening pandora's box

Vadodara, Dec 12 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Menaka Gandhi today took a dig at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her 'Merchant of Death' remark against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Congress leader had opened the ''Pandora's box''.

Describing Sonia's remark as ''most unfortunate'', Menaka said Sonia should not have made these sort of remarks in her election speech.

Menaka, who addressed a news conference along with her son Varun for the first time here, gave its credit to their family friend and sitting BJP MLA Yogesh Patel, who invited the duo to campaign for him in the city. Mr Patel, a close friend of late Sanjay Gandhi, is contesting from Raopura seat in the city for the fifth term.

Claiming that Gujarat had made tremendous progress during the last five years of BJP rule, the Gandhis felt that despite all these mud slinging between the two main rivals, BJP would emerge victorious in the hustings on its development plank.

They said the nation was expected to go for a mid-term polls in early 2008 because of the present development in the political scenario.

''BJP is fully prepared for the mid-term polls and party leaders have already started campaigning in their respective constituencies,'' they added.

Tomorrow, both Sonia and Menaka, the two daughter-in-laws of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, will be campaiging for their respective party candidates in Vadodara district.

While Menaka is scheduled to address a couple of election rallies in the city along with her son, Sonia will address an election rally at Dabhoi, about 30 km from here. On the following day, Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to undertake a road show in Vadodara city.

UNI