NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narasimha Rao faced an embarrassing situation at the Talkatora indoor stadium in a function organized to observe Rajiv Gandhi’s South birth anniversary on Aug.20, when Congressmen present their chanted for 10 minutes in favor! Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, asking her to take over the reins of the country.

Rao was prevented from beginning his speech as voelferous slogans read (Sonia Gandhi run the country, we are with you).

Several senior Congress leaders on the dals were clearly perturbed, as this was not what they had bate gained for.

The function organized by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) was the only political one among sundry such events across the city, Union Ministers Jagdish Tyler, Ghulam Nabi Aad, AICC leaders Janandhan Poojarl, Girija Vyas and local MP Sujjan Kumar tried hard to get silence at the podium.

 Tytler and Sajjan Kumar left th dals and buried to party members In the middle of the stadium, mixing with them and i silence. However, their efforts had little success.

At one stage, Sonia Gandhi self-asked Congressmen to letp rogram carry on. Her follower’s tide not heeds and shouted Soniajl stage paraao (Soniajl pleases come on the duls). However, Sonia Gandhi was unmoved.

This is the second time the recent past when Sonia Gandhi was requested to come UP to the stage at a party meeting. All the last AICC Session in June Mrs. Gandhi had refused to come on the dals

On Saturday, her supporters were in a various Mood as Soon as she arrived at the Talkalora stadium. Hundreds of Congressmen Stood and cried Rajiv Gandhi amarrahe and Sonia Gandhi zindabad rent the air.

Rao arrived five minutes after Sonia Gandhi and was welcomed with a bouquet by DPCC President H.K. L.Bhagat, Bhagat was still not fully recovered from his recent open heart surgery and was aided by Sajjan Kumar while presenting her a bouquet, and Sonia Gandhi took a minute to talk to Bhagat and enquired about his health.

The trouble arose soon after this when Rao was to deliver his speech.

But amid the entire din, Sonia Gandhi did not pay Heed to the demands. She stayed where she was on the High side of the rostrum, Nanked by Arjun Singh, Sheila Kaul, Mohsina Kidwat, Mrs.Girija Vyas dnd Mrs, Rajendra Kumari Bajpal. Finally, she gestured towards Rao asking him to begin his speech. Rao’s first words wore: “Soniaji, thank you for attending this function.” The stadium was immediately rent again with slogans.

From then on Rao spoke glowingly of the lite loader and his programs. “It is his ideas and aspirations that we are putting into practical use. The liberalization of the economy is just a small step in that direction:

Rao continued: “AL times, I wondered how was  possible that such a young man had so much capacity, | think God must be Watching from above and knows the answer.” The stadium and Sonia Gandhi joined in a loud applause.

Most of Rao’s Speech was devoted to the “golden middle path” ‘Which the Congress has adopted in resolving “tricky” issues” Take everybody along with the approach of the Congress, That is why we emerge from each problem successfully without hurting anybody, he said.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 26, 1994