Sonia condemns CPI (M), BJP for hitting out at PM

Vatakara (Kerala), Apr 8 (ANI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is on a day-long visit to Kerala, on Wednesday condemned the Left and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for using "bad and negative language" against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Addressing an election rally in Vatakara in North Kerala, Gandhi said it was a "shame" that the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the BJP had joined hands in insulting the Prime Minister.

"It is a shame on the part of the BJP and the CPI (M) to attack Dr. Manmohan Singh. When a person becomes a PM, whether he belongs to the Congress or other party, he becomes the Prime Minister of the country," said Gandhi.

"I am shocked that senior leaders of the BJP and the Left are using negative language against our Prime Minister, " she added.

The BJP's primeministerial candidate L K Advani has repeatedly been calling Singh a "weak Prime Minister," she said.

On Tuesday, while addressing a rally in Raigarh in Chhatisgarh, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had asserted that the government failed to provide adequate security to the nation and people should get rid of the UPA by voting it out of power in the coming elections.

Hitting back, Sonia Gandhi said: "It was shameful that the Left joined the BJP in attacking the Prime Minister, ignoring the fact that he is endowed with integrity. We are fortunate to have a Prime Minister like him."

Questioning the Left's track record on secularism, she said they had joined with the BJP twice and it was only the Congress, which never compromised with its ideology.

She maintained that the Congress would fight the Lok Sabha elections with development as its main agenda. (ANI)