Das Munshi lashes out at L K Advani

Shillong, Feb 08: Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi today lashed out at BJP Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani for failing to visit Orissa during the recent attacks on Christians.

Kick-starting the Congress's election campaign at Laban in Meghalaya, Mr Das Munshi stressed on the Congress's role for the preservation of secularism in the country.

Moaning the recent attacks on Christains in Orissa, the Congress leader took Mr Advani to task for not having visited the state to sympathise with the suffering minority Christains.

''I wept when I heard about it,'' Mr Das Munshi said while reasserting that the Congress would always uphold secularism and assure protection of religious minorities in the country.

Talking to reporters here, he admitted the Congress-led government's shortcomings in Meghalaya in the past five years although, he said, the overall performance was excellent.

Asked what the shortcomings were, the union minister said ''Definitely the change of guard was one of the shortcomings of the present government.'' Earlier, he released the party's election manifesto which promised to provide a dynamic leadership.

During the past few years, constant infighting within the party had led to change of guards on several occasions. In fact, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader J D Rymbai quit the party, while Minister in-charge of education opted out of the polls.

UNI