BJP vision clouded with hatred and falsehood: Sonia Gandhi

NEW DELHI: The choice for voters was between Congress "ideology and vision for a health and free democracy" and BJP’s vision that "will drive us to the ruination of our Bharatiyata, our Hindustaniyat", Congress president Sonia Gandhi said in the sharpest attack on its rival in a television ad.

Addressing voters for the first time in a televised advertisement by the party, Gandhi asserted that the Congress was fighting this election "to protect the very heart from those who seek to change it, and to divide us". She took a clear, though indirect, jab at Narendra Modi when she said, "we want unity. They want to impose uniformity. They say, "Just believe in me".

In the threeminute video advertisement released to Hindi TV news channels, Gandhi tried to hardsell Congress’ "inclusive ideology and vision" and asked the people to be wary of the political outlook of the Modi-led BJP. "Today, our society stands at the crossroads.

Congress ideology and vision will continue to take us towards a healthy, free democracy open to the light of change and transformation. Their vision, clouded with hatred and falsehood, their ideology, divisive and autocratic, will drive us to the ruination of our Bharatiyata, our Hindustaniyat."

The Congress president said that living with these feelings for each other across religions, castes, communities, regions, languages "is what makes us one strong nation. These have been the bedrock of our progress".