Sonia asks party workers not to be complacent

Sonia asks party workers not to be complacent

New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) Ahead of a series of elections,
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has said that controlling
inflation is "our highest priority" and cautioned party
workers not to become complacent following the victory in the
trust vote.

"With the nuclear agreement on path, the government can
concentrate single handedly on ensuring that inflation rate is
brought down significantly," Gandhi said in her "letter to
Congresspersons" in the latest issue of Congress Sandesh.

Noting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was personally
monitoring the situation, she said "the astronomical increases
in prices of oil and other essential commodities in world
markets have had a major impact on the price situation".

This was inspite of record agricultural production and
procurement, she said.

A highlight of Gandhi's letter was that there was no
mention of new found ally Samajwadi Party or the Left parties
whose withdrawal of support on the nuclear deal issue
necessitated the trust vote.

She said that in the next few months, there will be
elections in six states and though the recent victory in
Parliament has recharged the energy of the party workers,
"but we can take nothing for granted".

"Time and again, we have been reminded of the absolute
criticality of party unity and discipline at all levels...We
must now look ahead and together meet the challenges ahead".

Gandhi said the government's victory in the confidence
vote on July 22 was a "vindication of the civilian nuclear
agreement, which occasioned the vote, and an endorsement of
the policies of the U.P.A.".

Making a strong defence of the nuclear deal, she said it
will enable the country to generate more electricity while
fully protecting national sovereignty and the defense
interests.

"Our needs for electricity are so great and growing that
we cannot depend only on coal and water resources. We have to
use nuclear energy in a big way.

"The agreement will benefit our farmers, our families,
our trade and industry and our economy. We must communicate to
people at large, the significance of the nuclear agreement, so
that they are able to see the correctness of our stand," she
said.

Gandhi condemned attempts made by some of the political
opponents to give a communal colour to the nuclear agreement.

"This must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
The agreement will benefit India and all Indians irrespective
of caste, language, region or religion," she said.

The Congress President emphasised on the need for
consolidation of programmes that the government has launched
in the last four years in areas like rural employment, primary
education, primary health, nutrition, social security,
agricultural credit and urban services.

She said the non-Congress state governments are taking
credit for these programmes and asked the party workers to
communicate the truth to the people.