New Delhi, Feb 18: Sounding the election bugle, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today asked the people to maintain unity of the country and fight the forces which were trying to divide the country for their personal gains by spreading hatred and violence. ''Sankalp lenh ki bharatiya samaj ki ekta ko kayam rakhkhen, aur un tatvyon ka mukabala karen jo nafrat ka beej bo kar apne swarth ki phasal paida karte hain (we should all pledge to maintain the unity of the country, and fight the forces which were trying to sow the seeds of hatred for their vested interests),'' Sonia said after laying the foundation stone for the Guru Tegh Bahadur Memorial on the Sindhu border in the Sikh-dominated Narela constituency.
She said that one cannot fulfill one's desire by following the path of hatred and violence.
''Only love and goodwill can lead one forward.... This is the essence of the Khalsa panth, and this is the way we can build a new India,'' she said. Earlier, she began her speech with 'wahe guru ka khalsa, wahe guru ki fateh', in a bid to woo the Sikh populace ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Recalling the sacrifice made Guru Tegh Bahadur for the cause of human rights and of the other Sikhs in the freedom struggle, Sonia said such contributions were more than necessary in today's times.
Bureau Report