COCHIN: The Congress (I) President, Rajiv Gandhi alleged that the National Front government had, in the last few weeks in power, lowered the nation’s prestige. The steps taken by it had only weakened the country.

Ina scathing attack on the new government at the center the former Prime Minister in his first post-election public meeting held about eight hours behind schedule at the sprawling Marine Drive grounds here in the early hours Wednesday, said in Kashmir there ‘was a total sell out to the militants as the new government did not have the guts to stand up to the threats posed.

Similarly in Punjab, the center had so far failed to take any action against those who wanted a separate state and divide the country, he alleged adding, “once again the Gurdwaras are getting filled up with militants and weapons,

The situation in Punjab had been rapidly deteriorating over the past few weeks Gandhi said, and alleged that it was on the direct orders of the Prime Minister, VP Singh, that no arrests were being made in the state,

He charged the new government for not voicing its opinion about the US action in a small country like Panama and criticized the left parties, especially the CPI (M) for what he called “silently endorsing” the new government’s stand on the issue. “We expected the CPI (M) to stand on its principles,” he said.

He alleged that the new government had failed to keep its election Promise of naming within 15 days of coming to power the persons who had received commissions in the Bofors deal, “We wanted the new government to find out who were all paid commissions in the deal, who all had been fooling the country for the last two years,” he said.

Gandhi wondered why the new government had not, so far, said a single word about communalism, an issue which was most pertinent and could tear the country apart. He said some parties supporting the National Front government had a strong anti-communal stand and wanted these parties to make the government speak on the issue.

He said the new government should actually write off farmer’s loans and not just talk about it and urged it to follow up its promises with concrete actions.

Gandhi said for the first time, the Congress (I) was going to be a “formidable opposition” in the Lok Sabha and offered constructive cooperation as long as the government did not deviate from the policies laid down by late leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi,

Gandhi who is also the opposition Congress I leader in the Lok Sabha lambasted the Prime Minister VP Singh, who he said was not handling the problems of northern states of Kashmir and Punjab properly, “mere rhetoric speech is not good enough to solve the Punjab and Kashmir problems Gandhi said adding, hard action cannot wait, I don’t think he has realized the gravity of the situation.”

He said the Kashmir and Punjab problems could not wait for the vacillating government’s decisions and there was urgent need to take instant decision. If the union government had no courage to take such a decision, it had no business to continue in power, he added.

He said though the Punjab governor was ready to hook the militants under National Security Act, the Prime Minister’s office did not give up the required instructions, he said.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 12, 1990