By Yogesh Naik and Deepak Lokhande

Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday raised a war cry from Shivaji Park saying no party could match with the 118-year-old Congress as the Mumbai unit of the party put up a grand show and mammoth crowd for her public rally.

Sonia came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party for trying to claim credit for the good work done by Congress and said the nation’s progress was because of the work done by Congress for 50 years.

The turnout for the rally was unprecedented for the party: two lakh according to the Congress and 1.20-1.30 lakh according to police. 

The Congress had hired 1,200 State Transport buses to mobilise its workers and spent nearly Rs 2.5 lakh on arrangements for the event. There was a traffic jam at Shivaji Park that went up to Mahim in the north and Worli in the south.

Sonia chose to paint a grim picture of India under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and said the nation was on the brink of a disaster.

“Congress brought freedom, was engaged in nation-building for 50 years and started several public sector enterprises which gave roji-roti to crores of the unemployed. BJP is closing down those very industries,” she said.

Sonia’s speech, laden with election rhetoric, delved on issues like unemployment, inflation, farmers’ suicides and NDA corruption.

The Congress chief, who spoke for about 20 minutes, said she could imagine how difficult it must be for women to manage their homes in inflationary times. 

“Several hundred farmers have committed suicides in the last few years because of the wrong agricultural policies of this government,” she said.

Gandhi then went on to criticise the foreign policies of the Vajpayee government, saying India had lost its strong voice it had in external affairs. 

“There was a time when the world listened to us. Today we have a government that bows to international pressure,” Sonia said.

She also took a dig at BJP’s poll strategy to project Prime Minister A B Vajpayee as the most able administrator, saying a society was bigger than an individual and the nation was bigger than society. 

“Society remembers those who sacrificed their lives and they become immortal,” she said before naming Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and husband Rajiv.

It was interesting to see Sonia not making corruption the main plank in her speech — after former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi was mired in a bribery scandal. 

She merely made a cursory remark and then went on to say that politics for her was much different than what was being practised (by BJP). 

“I don’t believe in the kind of politics where people start looking after self-interests after their aim (of coming to power) is fulfilled. To us, power gives an opportunity to serve people and service makes us stronger,” she said.

She also sought to clarify the air over Congress’ initiatives for alliances with various parties. 

“Our alliances are in the interest of the nation, society and the poor. They are not for seeking power. Congress will always build alliances and adjustments on these interests,” she stressed.

Sonia said poll victories and defeats were part of the game and though the path had difficulties, only those with courage would reach their goals. 

Source: mid-day