Advani slams Cong ''propaganda on Hindu terrorism''

Pathalgaon, Chhattisgarh, Nov 17 (UNI) Firing a broadside at the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial nominee L K Advani today accused the former party of indulging in propaganda on ''Hindu terrorism'' over the past month in order to keep its minority vote-bank secure.

''It is on account of the Congress' appeasement policy that both terror and a feeling of insecurity in people increased. Problems such as hunger and unemployment are also that party's doing,'' the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged while addressing a public meeting here.

Claiming that the BJP never supported insurgency, the former deputy premier added that his party did not distinguish between Muslim and Sikh extremism but endeavoured to arrest hardcore militants and punish them.

''As a consequence of erroneous policies adopted by the Congress, hundreds of peasants committed suicide. Democracy has been running successfully in India but in 1975 the Congress imposed Emergency, attempted to gag the press and suffered the consequences. This time the Congress will have to bear the consequences of price rise, hunger, terror and insecurity,'' the ex-Union home minister warned.

Pointing out that after Madhya Pradesh's bifurcation and creation of Chhattisgarh, both states' electorates chose the BJP, he added that the voters should again award the party on the basis of evaluating its work.

''The Raman Singh government deserves another chance,'' Mr Advani said while taking a dig at the Congress -- which has not declared its chief ministerial nominees in the poll-bound states unlike the BJP -- by saying that the Congress always selected its skipper after the match was over.

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