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Sonia calls for fight against terrorism

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has sought to play down Left`s concerns on the Indo-US nuclear deal saying they were not a cause for "alarm".

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has sought to play down Left`s concerns on the Indo-US nuclear deal saying they were not a cause for "alarm". "Sometimes a great deal is made in public domain of the opinions expressed by our friends who support our coalition but this should not alarm you," the Congress president said here without directly referring to the deal but apparently alluding to it.
Calling for a concerted fight against terrorism, Gandhi stressed on the need to ensure that no community feels targeted. Mahatma Gandhi fell to the bullets of a fanatic and two Indian leaders Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were also victims to terrorism. The Congress chief pointed out that terrorism in the name religion is negation of all that every religion stands for "peace, compassion and understanding". That, Gandhi emphasized, brings out the need to fight the scourge but "at the same time it is necessary to ensure that no community feels under seize or sees itself as a target of automatic suspicion. "The philosophy of the Congress party is to respect all religions but at the same time to fight fundamentalism and communalism of every shade," she told the public meeting organized by the Indian National Overseas Congress. At a time when people were complaining of "brain drain", former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi emphatically believed it was actually a "brain bank" which has now been proven true, his wife and Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said. The area of "brain bank" is not the only field in which Rajiv has proved correct but in several other areas also, she said addressing the Indian-American community here last evening, while specifically mentioning information technology. The government, Sonia said, has created Ministry for Overseas Indians to specifically take care of Non-Resident Indians and their problems. Bureau Report