BJP says Cong acting in ''Stalinist manner''

New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) The Congress'' comments on L KAdvani''s blog today left the BJP fuming with the mainopposition accusing the ruling party of behaving in "Stalinistmanner" and using foul language instead of introspecting onwhat even its own leader Rajiv Gandhi had stated about it.

"We take severe objections to the kind of languagewith which Congress instead of getting into introspectivemode, attacks anyone who speaks the facts about it.... this isa Stalinist kind of reaction from the Congress party," BJPspokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Advani had stated in his blog yesterday that Congressalways had a rotational system of Presidentship and evenMahatma Gandhi had chaired only the Belgaum plenary of theparty in 1924. He pointed out that this had changed now andpresidentship of the party had become a "family monopoly".

This had led to the Congress to retort that thecomments had come from a man who had lost power even withinhis own party.

"These are the frustrated outbursts of the person, whohas used the same allegations to make a bid for the PrimeMinister''s office but has instead been reduced to thepermanent position of PM-in-waiting," Congress spokespersonAbhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Sitharaman today said that the Congress spokespersonshould refer to the speech of his leader Rajiv Gandhi at thecentenary celebrations of the party at Mumbai.

"Congress should refer to Rajiv Gandhi''s 1985centenary speech in which he had said that Congress party isno longer the Congress party of the time of his mother and hisgrandfather. I do not know if Congress spokesperson willreserve the same words for Rajiv Gandhi. He had said we shouldlook ourselves in the mirror of truth. I wish the Congressparty does that today," Sitharaman said.

The BJP said the Congress was indulging in a knee-jerkreaction to Advani''s comments.

"A party which does not know how to handle itself. Aparty which has no direction for this country. A party whichis completely sunk in corruption. And a party which does noteven know how to attend to price rise issue of the aam admihas shown its knee-jerk reaction when remotely somebody refersto the failure of Congress to keep up its own traditions,"Sitharaman said.