Congress capable of fighting terrorism: Sonia

Tumkur (Karnataka), May 7 (UNI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said her party was capable of fighting terrorism and had waged a war against global terror in the past and would continue the fight to completely eradicate the scourge.

Addressing an election rally here, Ms Gandhi said the Congress was not weak in handling terrorism as being projected by the opposition parties. The party has fought global terrorism in the past and efforts are continuing to put an end to terrorism in the country.

She said the party had also sacrificed the lives of two great leaders including former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who were killed by terrorists. ''Congress has paid the price for fighting against terrorism. But what have our detractors done in this regard. Is accompanying hardcore terrorists to Afghanistan a fight against terrorism. Let the BJP tell us who took the enemies of this country from its jails to Kandahar safely,'' she said.

Ms Gandhi claimed that the country witnessed the worst kind of terrorist attacks during the BJP led NDA rule. ''They (terrorists) attacked our Parliament House, they attacked places dear to our heart in Gujarat and created major trouble in Jammu and Kashmir during the BJP rule.'' The party stood for social justice and economic development of the country and the UPA government, led by her party, had proved it during the last four years, she added.

She said the UPA government had ushered in a development phase in India never seen before. ''It had always responded to the needs of the poor and the Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and various programmes for the weaker sections are there for everybody to see.'' ''Did the BJP ever dream of introducing a scheme as big as the waiver of farmers loans to the extent of Rs 60,000 crore, benefitting four crore farmers,'' she asked.

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