Sonia Gandhi in tears, rebuts Narendra Modi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was through tears rather than through words that Congress president Sonia Gandhi gave a telling reply on Monday to the charges raised against her by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding her nationality. And the vast audience that had gathered  for the UDF’s campaign rally at Putharikandam grounds here were moved beyond words by her emotionally-charged  speech.

“India has been my home for the last 48 years and my ashes will mingle with the land here,” she said and added that the RSS and the BJP had been hunting her for years just because she was born in Italy.

“I was born in Italy. But India would remain my home forever. This is the land where I would live till my end. It is the same place where my ashes should be laid. None can question my commitment. I cannot expect Modi to understand my feelings. But I am sure the people here would understand it,” said a teary-eyed and choked-up Sonia.

When she began her speech, she said that she  would  reply to Mr Modi at the end of her speech and added that she was born to proud and honest parents. “I was never ashamed of being the daughter of my parents. I have a 93-year-old mother and  two sisters living in Italy,” she added.

The audience applauded her when  Jyothi, daughter of Chengannur DCC general secretary P. Vijayakumar, translated her words into Malayalam.
Sonia came down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre and the LDF here and challenged Mr Modi to show at least one state ruled by them which is better than Kerala in the education and health sectors.

“Modi is resorting to character assassination of  his political opponents and spending crores on campaigning, but nothing for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,” she said. She reminded the people that the ministry of overseas affairs which was launched by the UPA government had been wound up by the Modi government.

Addressing a rally at Thekkinkad maidan in Thrissur, Congress president Sonia Gandhi warned that the secular and progressive values of Kerala were under threat and that the state should stand together with the UDF to defend them.
The UDF government in Kerala had implemented several mega developmental projects like Kannur air port and Kochi Metro, she said.  She began her speech by offering her condolences to the victims of the Puttingal fire tragedy in Kollam and  the mother of LLB student Jisha, who was raped and murdered in Perumbavur.

“The prime minister has little time to look into the issue of farmers.  Though the centre was reluctant to allot funds from the price stabilization funds after repeated requests of the Kerala government, the UDF government in Kerala gave the highest minimum support price for crops,” she said in her 25-minute  speech.

The Modi government had cut down the funds allotted to MGNREGS, the flagship project of the UPA government, which was meant to support the poorest among the poor, she added.  The LDF had no clear stand on the liquor policy, she said. She  introduced all the 13 UDF candidates in Thrissur district to the 25,000-strong people who had gathered there.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and  Karnataka Power Minister D.K. Sivakumar among other Congress leaders took part in the rally.