Communal politics a threat to secular ideals, says Sonia

‘Telangana would not have been possible without Congress’

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said the secular ideals which formed the foundation of the country’s political system were now under threat from parties like the BJP which sought to pursue communal politics.

“Congress has never believed in segregation on the basis of community or caste, and has always stood for secularism. It was for this very ideal that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had to sacrifice their lives,” the Congress president said, addressing a huge public meeting in Karimnagar.

Sonia Gandhi devoted a major part of her 30-minute speech to the creation of Telangana state and the role played by the Congress in the process. “The people of Telangana fought for separate statehood for the past 60 years and now it has become a reality. On June 2, Telangana would become the 29th state of the Indian Republic,” she said.

“Telangana may have been a problem for other parties, but for Congress, it was a commitment which we delivered by getting the bill for division of Andhra Pradesh passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,” she said, adding that it was as much an achievement for Congress as for the people of Telangana who struggled for it.

“Without Congress, it would not have been possible. BJP opposed the bill till the last minute, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) tried everything possible to stall it and the YSR Congress did the same. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was not involved in the process that made Telangana a reality,” she said, adding that Congress decided to divide the state respecting the aspirations of the 40 million people of Telangana.

Stating that the people of Telangana had always stood by secular ideals, the Congress president said the TDP too had joined hands with the BJP which pursues communal politics. The Congress, while ensuring development of all parts of Telangana was also committed to implementing all the promises and assurances made to the people of Seemandhra for development of the residuary state, she said, adding: “Both Seemandhra and Telangana are close to my heart.”

“The struggle (for Telangana state) is over now, and it is now time to ensure proper and responsible governance, and only Congress is capable of doing this. Every vote cast for Congress on April 30 will ensure peace, development, progress and stability in Telangana,” Sonia Gandhi said.

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