Manmohan Singh, Sonia 'unfit to rule': Advani

Dehradun, Sep 8: Launching a direct attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi for their absence at the centenary celebrations of the Vande Mataram in Delhi, senior BJP leader L K Advani today said, ''those who can't defend the sacred legacy of the national movement are unfit to rule the country.''

Addressing the BJP National Executive on the second day of the meeting, Mr Advani also charged the Congress and the UPA Government with simply ''wilting'' under a baseless and dangerous assault made by some sections of society on respecting and honouring the national song. Both these leaders were present in the Headquarters but did not attend the meeting organised by the government and the party, he said.

He said the decision to opt out of the meeting was 'grave' and could not be treated casually.

Mr Advani said this also demonstrated that the present Congress and its leadership was not aligned with India's national and freedom movement and were ''physically, mentally and emotionally'' not in tune with issues of nationalism.

The former Deputy Prime Minister who addressed the meeting which earlier adopted two resolutions on farmers plight and price rise spoke at length on corruption and criminalisation of politics in the UPA regime.

Referring to the oil-for-food scam, Mr Advani said former external affars minister Natwar Singh was not the lone non-contractual beneficiary of the kickbacks but the Congress was also named as a beneficiary. ''The yardstick applied for Mr Natwar should be applied to the Congress too,'' he added.

Taking a dig at the Congress President for ''demeaning'' the office of Prime Minister, Mr Advani remarked, ''the biggest challenge to democracy today was dynastic rule.'' Alleging the Congress of making efforts to subvert the democratic norms on the issue of office of profit, the BJP leader said the vindictive attitude of the government resulted in the recoiling on the Congess President. The BJP had played a ''constructive role'' in handling the office of profit bill issue after the President sent it back, Mr Advani said.

He also painted a grim picture of internal security scenario with terrorism, naxalism and secessionist forces stepping their activities in recent months. He differed with Home Minister Shivraj Patil's stance that Naxalism was a state issue and said his statement should be viewed in the light of Congress' alignment with the naxal forces in the last elections to form the government in Andhra Pradesh. ''It is a sin against democracy and a sin against nation,'' he said adding that naxalism should be dealt at federal level and not left to the states.

Mr Advani also rapped the government on the Indo-US Nuclear deal and said had the BJP not opposed, the government would have ''gravely compromised'' India's strategic interests by surrendering to the US dictates. The party had forced the Prime Minister to make a detailed statement which was a substantial ''come down'' on the government's earlier stand.

Earlier, the Executive discussed at length the economic scenario, farmers suicide and the price rise affecting the common man. The state unit chiefs presented the political and organisational preparedness in their respective states especially the ones going to polls in the next one year.

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu who briefed newspersons denied that issues like indiscipline figured in the Executive. He also denied that the meeting deliberated on the electoral strategy to be adopted by the party to face Assembly elections in four states.

UNI

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