Congress ready for Lok Sabha polls: Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, Feb 8: Launching the poll campaign at a Congress party national convention in New Delhi, party President, Sonia Gandhi fiercely criticised Pakistan for 'supporting terrorism.' She said, "People on the other side of border, who are supporting terrorism, will get a befitting reply."

"There are challenges and terrorism is a big challenge for us," she added. She also accused the main opposition party BJP of taking 'political advantage of terror attacks.'

"We never tried to take political advantage of terror attacks that happened during the NDA regime...The party which tries to divide people on communal grounds, can not be a tool to fight terrorism."

"This time we seek a mandate to fight all those forces who try to divide our country...Unlike the NDA government, the UPA has not discriminated among any state in terms of development," Sonia said.

About the present global recession, UPA chairperson said that the whole world is facing recession, while India is demonstrating its resilience. "It is crucial to maintain a high level of economic growth," said Sonia Gandhi.

She added that the government has responded to the global crisis.

Sonia said the party-led UPA Government has kept the aam admi, or the common man, as the focus of its economic policy during the past five years and was "ready, prepared and confident" to face the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. She said Congress wanted people to reaffirm faith in it.

"The aam admi has been the overriding force of our economic policy. We have worked towards the welfare of farmers, the empowerment of women and welfare of weaker sections. We want people to reaffirm faith in the Congress. We are ready, we are prepared, we are confident," Sonia said.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)