Sandesh Prabhudesai
31 May 1999
Breaking her silence over the controversial nation-wide issue of her
foreign origin since the time she took over the Congress after withdrawing her
resignation, Congress president Sonia Gandhi reiterated her pledge to live and die in
India, the country she has chosen to be her motherland.
Addressing her second election rally in Margao on Sunday late evening,
Mrs Gandhi claimed that the issue of her foreign origin was raked up by those forces who
are bereft of issues in the forthcoming elections. Margao is incidentally a town
surrounded by Catholic-dominated villages.
"The place of birth was not of my choice. But the question over my
marriage and nationality were my conscious decisions. India is my motherland and I will
live and die in the country", she said right at the beginning of her speech, before
turning her ire towards the BJP.
Making a fervent appeal to the gathering of over 5000 to reject the
BJP, the Congress chief also appealed to the Goans to foil attempts by the BJP to
consolidate their forces in the state, which is known for maintaining social and communal
harmony all these years.
"The 13-month coalition rule of the BJP at the centre has torn
apart the social harmony and caused immense damage to the country. Congress is the only
secular party which does not believe in the politics of hatred and whipping up passions to
gain power", she said.
Probably knowing that Goans are disgusted over misrule of the Congress
for the last 19 years in Goa, she changed her tone while addressing in the heartland of
the traditional Congress vote bank in South Goa, sounding a bit apologetic.
"Plans and programmes mean little when we do not have a honest
government. We are not above board on every development. We do not ensure that
developmental funds are spent wisely", she said while appealing to the people of Goa
to give another chance to her party to rule Goa.
Reading out salient features of the manifesto of the state Assembly
elections like restricting number of cabinet to six to seven and legislators announcing
their assets regularly, she vowed to root out corruption and provide a stable government,
if people give a clear mandate to the Congress.
"That trust, that confidence will not be betrayed. This is my
solemn pledge", said Mrs Gandhi while concluding her 10-minute long written speech in
English.
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