Monday, December 22, 2008

Respect Peace or Face Consequences, Sonia Tells Pak


Warning Pakistan against misconstruing India’s peace moves as a sign of weakness, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday asked Islamabad to crack down on terror elements using its soil to launch attacks against India or face our “capacity to give befitting reply.”

Addressing an election rally at Dabhler in RS Pura, a few miles from the Border with Pakistan, Gandhi said it had been India’s endeavour to have good relations with neighbours. “But our desire for peace should not be treated as our weakness.”

She urged Islamabad to weed out those responsible for attacking India. “If that does not happen, we have the capability to give a befitting reply,” she said amid a thunderous applause from the gathering.

Gandhi said the coalition government did a tremendous job in Jammu and Kashmir and it was backed by the strong initiatives taken by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the shape of three round table conferences. Five working groups were formed and four had given their reports and the process of implementation was on.

Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz asked the people to reject the negative politics of those who intended to divide the people.

The former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said his government had the record of eliminating militancy from the State.

The Congress faces a tough contest in 13 Assembly segments, which go to polls on December 24.

No comments: