Rahul's statement reminiscent of Emergency days, says Advani

Varanasi, Apr 25 (UNI) Addressing young Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as ''newly emerged Congress worker,'' former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said statements by the young MP have revived the memories of emergency days.

''The recent statements by the newly emerged Congress worker (Rahul Gandhi) on the Ayodhya demolition episode bring back the memories of the days when emergency was clamped in the country to gag democratic voice,'' Mr Advani said while addressing an election meeting here this evening.

''When the Allahabad High Court disqualified Indira Gandhi from parliament membership for six years the then Congress president Devkant Baruah had remarked Indira is India and India is Indira and parliament cannot be imagined without her. After this emergency was clamped in the country to murder democracy,'' Mr Advani recounted.

He further said by issuing statement that ''had his family been in active politics the Babri demoltion would have not taken place, the newly emerged Congress workers (Rahul) has not only suggested that all other party members including past stalwarts like P V Narsimha Rao have been useless, but he has also revived the memories of democracy being murdered in the country through emergency.'' Changing the track towards UP elections, Mr Advani said ''UP is the only state which still figures under the abbreviation of BIMARU. All other states who have come out of the abbreviation of underdevelopment including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as well Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal (created from BIMARU states) have been put on track of development by BJP led governments.'' ''If Kalyan Singh led BJP is voted to power the last BIMARU state will also become developed,'' he added.

''Before the start of election we were very behind, but now our party is leading the ongoing polls in UP and I harbour a strong belief that Kalyan Singh will lead the next government in the state,'' Mr Advani added.

Terming Gujarat as the most developed state in the country, Mr Advani hinted at ushering the same development if the party is voted to power in UP.

''UP elections will not only put back BJP in the saddle in the politically crucial province, but also serve as the fountainhead for the party's return to power at the centre,'' Mr Advani maintained.

Mr Advani also asked the electorate of UP to rise above caste and communal lines to vote BJP to power as it is the only party which believes in national integration, good governance, fullsome democracy and development ''We do not pursue the vote bank politics which has crippled our democracy, but work for serving the national interest.'' Taking exception to the delay in disposing the clemency petition of parliament attack mastermind Mohd Afzal, Mr Advani said it is a perfect case of vote bank politics being pursued by all parties except BJP.

UNI