Sonia attacks Pakistan, says befitting reply will be given

Vowing to defeat terrorism, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today warned that any attempt by Pakistan to weaken the country or harm its unity will be given “a befitting reply”.Podcast

Vowing to defeat terrorism, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday warned that any attempt by Pakistan to weaken the country or harm its unity will be given “a befitting reply”.

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“India’s identity is that all religions and communities co-exist in harmony. Our neighbour wants to weaken this strength of ours but they do not know that we can give a befitting reply to their every design,” Sonia said at a public rally here, in an obvious reference to Pakistan.

She said the neighbouring country wants to destroy our unity and brotherhood. “Terrorism is a big challenge before the country but would be met. We will defeat terrorism,” she said.

In an apparent reference to attacks on migrants in neighbouring Maharashtra, Sonia praised people of the Dadra and Nagar Haveli for “loving and accepting outside workers” who came to work in the Union Territory.

“You people have followed the tradition of unity in diversity,” she said.

The Congress president also credited the Congress-led UPA government with shielding people from the “oil shock”.

“We would continue to work for the ‘aam aadmi´ (common man),” she said, highlighting the price cuts of Rs 10 a litre for petrol, Rs four for diesel and Rs 25 per LPG cylinder in the last two months.

The UPA government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, signed the historic nuclear pact with the US to provide a cheap and quality source of power to people in urban and rural areas, she said.