Congress is raking up terrorism issue: Vajpayee

Amritsar, Feb 10: Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said it was ''very unfortunate'' that the ruling party was once again raising the bogey of terror in Punjab for retaining power in the border state.

''Terrorism has no place in Punjab as the people here are peaceloving and have already rejected terrorism,'' he said while addressing an election rally in rain in favour of his party candidates, including cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu who is contesting the Amritsar Parliamentary seat by-election.

''The Congress played the terrorist card in the past and now it is again doing it,'' he said while warning the people to beware of the designs of the ruling party.

''Terrorism is not an issue in a state which is confronted with numerous problems, including the increasing number of suicides by debt-ridden farmers,'' he said.

''The common man in the country and this state is finding it hard to get two square meals a day and the Congress talks of revival of terrorism,'' he added.

The 'garib' (poor) was concerened about buying their stock of 'atta' and 'dal', he said while criticising the UPA-government for failing to control the prices of essential commodities.

Assailing the Central government for failing to provide a package to the debt-ridden farmers of Punjab for the revival of the staggering agricultural economy, Mr Vajpayee said it was very unfortunate that no effort was made to help those who had brought about the Green Revolution in the country. '' How many more lives (suicides) does the government want?'' he asked.

UNI