Mahila Congress condemns attempts to malign Pratibha

Mumbai, June 25 (UNI) All India Mahila Congress today condemned the opposition BJP led-NDA for its attempt to malign the UPA-Left Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil and declared that it will launch an awareness campaign for building up public opinion in her favour across the country in the run up to the July 19 polls.

Addressing a press conference here, All India Mahila Congress President Ms Rita Bahuguna-Joshi said the campaign would be launched from Maharashtra, which is Ms Patil's home state.

The 'Janjagran abhiyan' will include padyatras and processions from the national level to the block level.

''We are aware that people are not voters in the Presidential elections. But, we want to create awareness among them about the importance of having a woman head of state in the 60th year of India's independence. Our campaign will also focus on how hurdles are being put in the path of a woman to assume the highest office. We will appeal to the woman legislators and parliamentarians, cutting across party lines, to support Ms Patil,''she added.

Condemning the attempts of the opposition to malign Ms Patil in the bank loan default and a Jalgaon murder case, Bahuguna-Joshi said the opposition was trying to reap electoral benefits by indulging in character assassination of a woman.

Criticising opponents for calling Ms Patil a lightweight, she said, ''I challenge anybody who calls her a lightweight by showing me a more powerful CV of a woman in public life than hers.'' Mrs Bahuguna-Joshi described Pratibha Patil's nomination as a 'diplomatic master stroke' by Sonia Gandhi.

Referring to charges against Ms Patil, Ms Bahuguna-Joshi said, ''the allegations are a political gimmick. Why did these charges not surface when she became the Governor of Rajasthan. In case of the Jalgaon murder of a congress leader, the matter is sub-judice. Law will take its own course''.

UNI