Congress president and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday urged the people of Gujarat to renounce violence and unite to restore communal harmony and normalcy in the state. Gandhi, who led a 5000-strong women's rally for peace in Ahmedabad, told reporters that though the censure motion on the Gujarat issue in Parliament was defeated, ''its purpose'' was served as it compelled the Vajpayee government to announce a package of Rs 150 crore for the riot-affected in the state. In a brief chat, Gandhi said that the whole nation was behind Gujarat and its people in their hour of crisis. The agenda now should be for all people to strive unitedly to put the state back on the rails for normalcy and progress. The Congress was working for the people of Gujarat and ''would continue to do so forever,'' she declared.
The 'sadbhavna (harmony) rally' organised by the All India Mahila Congress, covered a distance of two km from Ellisbridge to Sardarbaug in Ahmedabad amid heavy security.

Bureau Report