Chennai, May 07: Sharing a platform for the first time in her political life with DMK president M Karunanidhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi tonight sought people`s mandate to `throw the corrupt NDA government at the Centre and to send signals to the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu that its end is nearing`. Addressing a massive meeting at the island grounds, where Prime Minister A B Vajpayee addressed a meeting two days back, Sonia Gandhi said during the past five years, not even a single day passed without scams at the Centre.
“Corruption has become rampant. Not even a single day passed without scams. Coffin scam, Tehelka scam and CAG report, which brought to light the transfers of army officers at the cost of the lives of jawans and country`s security, had exposed the corruption of the NDA government”, she said.
Making light of those who `abused` her, Sonia Gandhi said, “It is a great honour for me to come from a family, which lived and died for the country”.
“Speaking from a soil where my husband (Rajiv Gandhi) made the supreme sacrifice for the sake of country is a great honour for me and to share his fate for the sake of the country. His life, love for people and his ultimate sacrifice for the nation gives me great inspiration”.
“I carry his love and affection in my heart and mind. It is this what sustains me and face the challenges,” she said, in an obvious reference to AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa`s charge that she did not have love and affection to Rajiv Gandhi and had alligned with those, who hobnobbed with his killers.
Bureau Report