Terrorism, development, dynastic rule and a
controversial Hindu temple were the chief topics spotlighted Sunday as India's main political parties switched into election mode, dpa
reported.
India's governing United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) term ends in May, and
elections are expected to be announced soon for April or May.
The Congress Party, which leads the ruling alliance, organized a mass rally for
party workers in Delhi, whilst the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
concluded a major convention in the western city of Nagpur.
The Congress rally was addressed by all major party leaders including party
chief Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul, himself a lawmaker.
The speakers largely dwelled on the issues of terrorism and development, as
they asked party workers to highlight the claimed success of the UPA in
improving the lot of farmers and weaker sections of society and empowering
women.
Their main attacks focussed on the BJP, and neighbouring Pakistan - which India claims is going soft on terrorism. It alleges Pakistani extremists were
responsible for the attacks on Mumbai in November that left more than 170
people dead.
"Terrorism is a big challenge and I want to tell people across the border
that they should not mistake our calmness as weakness," Sonia Gandhi told
the huge gathering of party workers.
She also criticized the BJP for raising the issue of building a temple to the
Hindu god Ram in the northern town of Ayodhya once again.
Hindu hardliners claim that a temple at the site once marked the birthplace of
Lord Ram and the temple had been torn down by Muslim rulers who built a mosque
on the spot.
Groups of Hindu fanatics demolished the medieval Babri mosque in 1992, sparking
nationwide sectarian riots that left more than 2000 people dead. The temple
issue now lies with the courts.
On Saturday, leaders of the BJP once again repeated a promised to rebuild the
Ram temple at Ayodhya. The Hindu right-wing party emerged as a powerful
national party in the 1980s and 1990s largely thanks to its campaign to build
the temple.
More than 80 per cent of India's 1.2 billion population are Hindu, 12 per cent
are Muslims, whilst the remainder follow other religions like Christianity and
Sikhism.
"We will build the temple, with the help of legislation if needed,"
BJP president Rajnath Singh was quoted as saying at the Nagpur convention by
PTI news agency.
Sonia Gandhi took a potshot at the BJP Sunday saying: "Those who want
to divide society, create polarisation on the basis of religion and those who
use the name of Ram are against religion and cannot fight terrorism."
The BJP's star speaker at the Nagpur convention was Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi, who has faced criticism for his handling of the Hindu-Muslim
riots in 2002 in which more than 1000 people, largely Muslims, were killed.
He is, however, regarded as an efficient administrator who has helped Gujarat
become one of India's most economically prosperous states.
Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress Party for promoting dynastic
rule.
Sonia Gandhi's husband Rajiv Gandhi, his mother Indira Gandhi and his
grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru were all prime ministers of India.
The Congress Party elected Sonia Gandhi to be its leader after the 2004 general
election but she refused to become prime minister and remained chief of the
party.
"The conspiracy to promote one family's past is posing danger to the
future of the country," Modi said without naming the Nehru-Gandhis.
Modi termed Manmohan Singh "an invisible prime minister" and said
power without accountability had rested with "the family" for the
past five years and this needed to be changed.
Singh, who recently underwent heart bypass surgery, could not attend Sunday's
rally in Delhi but sent a message saying the government's flagship programmes
and policy initiatives had helped better the lives of millions.
He spoke of his desire to build a progressive, secure and happy India and asked workers to carry the party's message and government's accomplishments to
voters across the country.