New Delhi, Sunday 23 November 2008: Taking advantage of high election fever in Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where it hurts the most. At a time when the right-wing BJP denounced the alleged torture of sadhvi Pragya Thakur, prime accused in the Malegaon blast probe, Gandhi has advised Advani not to link terror with religion.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson asked BJP prime ministerial candidate L K Advani to avoid playing politics over the issue of terrorism. Her statement came a few hours after Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief KS Sudershan blamed the UPA government for branding Hindus as terrorists to veil its “complete failure to combat rampant terrorism” and to get political benefits out of it. Notably, RSS is said to be the parent organisation of the BJP.

Addressing a rally ahead of Assembly Elections in Delhi, the Congress president tried to allay fears of people over increasing terror-related incidents in the country. She vowed to deal with terrorism as a national problem, acknowledging the threat posed by such activities.
(Agency)