Sonia says BJP govt''s days numbered

Aditi Tandon

Tribune New Service

New Delhi, May 6

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party leaders AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad were detained for a shortwhile by the Delhi Police on Friday for violating prohibitory orders in attending 'Save Democracy' rally organised by the party at Jantar Mantar.

Addressing the rally, Sonia Gandhi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minster Narendra Modi and said the BJP government's days were numbered.

“Don't think the Congress is weak. We won't succumb to your politics of vendetta and threats. We will fight you and continue to be an awakened opposition which will protect democracy,” Sonia told the Prime Minister at a rally in Jantar Mantar.

“We are gathered at Jantar Mantar to send our message not just to Raisina Hill but also to people in Nagpur, who run Modi’s government,” Sonia said in a jibe at the RSS.

“The Modi government used pressure, money, incitement to destabilise our governments in Arunachal and Uttarakhand. They may try to character assassinate us to deflect attention from their own failures. Character assassination is the BJP'S old habit but I want to warn them: We won't bow to politics of intimidation. We won't cow down to their tactics of scaring, intimidating us.… Enough is enough,” she said.

“My life has taught me to struggle. They don't know what the Congress is made of,” Sonia said.

The rally comes even as the BJP organised its own sit-in outside Parliament on Friday.

Sonia was addressing supporters at the Save Democracy march before embarking on a padyatra to Parliament. Earlier Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also addressed the gathering.

(With inputs from agencies)