3 May : Senior Congress leader Dr.Manmohan Singh on Sunday said the parties whose politics is based on religion cannot take the country forward. He insisted that only Congress is capable of dealing with the big challenges facing the nation.
Addressing a public meeting at Hari Nagar in New Delhi, Dr. Singh also took on senior BJP leader L K Advani for raking up the issue of black money stashed in foreign banks. He alleged that Advani is behaving irresponsibly for the sake of election stunt. Seeking a fresh mandate for the UPA, Dr. Singh said the country is faced with big challenges and it should be given another chance to complete the unfinished tasks. In his first election meeting in Delhi he said Congress is the only party that takes care of all religions, castes, particularly those who are economically and socially backward.
Describing terrorism as one of the major problems facing the country, Dr. Singh took a dig at BJP saying its record on this front during the NDA government is poor.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani charged the UPA government that it has failed in addressing the basis issues of the common man. Addressing an election meeting in Dwarka he sought support for the party candidates. Mr. Advani said that the if his party is voted to power, the priority will be to deal effectively with the menace of terrorism and put the eceonomy on the sound rails. Raking up the hanging of the Afzal Guru he allged the ruling combine delayed the matter for electoral considerations.
Charging the Congress led government of misusing the premier investigation agenecy CBI, he promised that all means will be used to bring back the Indian black money stashed in the foreign banks. Excuding confidence that the BJP led NDA will form the government at the centre, he called upon the people to suuoprt this combne for a better and bright future.He was addressing the rallay when the reports last came in.