Communal threat to Mahatma's ideology: Sonia

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading communal hatred in order to come to power. She said they were hurting the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and the concept of secularism in the country.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading communal hatred in order to come to power. She said they were hurting the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and the concept of secularism in the country.

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Addressing a gathering in Bihar’s Kishanganj after laying the foundation stone of a local branch of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Gandhi said the country was going through a critical phase and that they were faced with an ideological fight. “The Congress believes in a secular ideology and strives for protecting the interest of all religions, which form the foundation of secularism,” she said. “However, there is another ideology… of forces that are out to disturb social harmony.”

In her 10-minute address, Gandhi said she was committed to the development of Bihar. The central government offered Rs 1.34 lakh crore to Bihar in the past 10 years for the development of the state, she said.

“I believe the country progresses only if the states grow. However, it is the responsibility of the state governments to ensure that the fund given to them is utilised in transparent way and benefit reached the target,” the Congress president added.