Sonia should apologise for slandering BJP, says Advani

NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: L K Advani, BJP���s prime ministerial candidate, on Monday retaliated against Congress Sonia Gandhi, daring her to have a debate with him on her ``slanderous������ remarks questioning the BJP���s patriotic credentials, failing which she should apologise to the nation and desist from making such irresponsible statements.

Mr Advani took strong exception to Ms Gandhi���s remarks, made at a rally in Khunti (Jharkhand) on Saturday, charging BJP with posing a greater danger to the country than Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. ���Although she did not take BJP���s name, it���s obvious that the Congress president was attacking BJP, not only questioning our patriotism, but also hurling a worse charge. She should publicly apologise for this slanderous statement,������ Mr Advani told newspersons in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.

���I challenge her to join us in a debate on this issue by being specific in telling the nation that BJP poses a bigger threat to India���s security and unity than terrorists coming from outside. Let the people of India decide,������ former deputy prime minister added.

Mr Advani compared the situation arising out of her remarks to the ``Coffingate������ rake up by her on the eve of the 2004 general election. ���I recall here that during the campaign for the 2004 parliamentary election, she had levelled the wild charge that the NDA government had made money in the purchase of coffins meant for the Army martyrs. In its five years in office, the UPA government was unable to prove the allegation,������ the BJP leader asserted.

The BJP leader also charged the Congress president with going against the consensus among the political parties on the threat emanating from across the border, and also with being ignorant about her own party���s historical tradition.
���No nationalist Indian would ever belittle this threat of cross-border terrorism by saying that there is a greater danger emerging from people inside our country,������ the BJP leader maintained.

���Obviously Soniaji is ignorant even about the tradition of her senior party leaders in this regard. Both Pandit Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri lauded the contribution of the Jana Sangh and RSS to the national effort during the 1962 and 1965 wars. Panditji actually had an RSS contingent participate in the Republic Day Parade of 1963,������ Mr Advani added.