Bangalore: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday supported Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Indo-US nuclear deal saying that despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposing it, the Prime Minister stood his ground and even declared he would quit if the deal was not signed.
Rahul claimed that when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was in power, it was actually ready to sign the nuclear deal but opposed it when United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was signing it.
He also targeted BJP prime ministerial candidate LK Advani claiming he is weak on terror.
Rahul attacked Advani on the Kandahar hijack episode again while addressing an election rally in Bangalore on Friday.
He said while BJP says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "does not take on terrorism", that party does not talk about Kandahar when its minister accompanied terrorists and 'bowed his head in front of them'.
These released terrorists, who were actually captured by the Congress governments in the 1990s, later carried out the attack on Parliament, he said.
"And today when we ask the then home minister (Advani) why the terrorists were relaxed, he says he had no idea why they were released", Rahul said.
Advani's statement meant that either the then Prime Minister did not trust him or he (Advani) actually knew the terrorists were being released. "So, you can decide for yourself as to who is weak on terror and who is strong on terror".
He said he knows the Prime Minister who would never, ever bow before terrorists.
There was an attack in Mumbai (26/11) and "our Prime Minister responded". UPA Government put so much pressure on Pakistan that for the first time ever it admitted that the terrorists came from its soil.
Apparently referring to Mangalore pub attack, he said "our opposition" (BJP) talks about Indian culture and history and "they condone beating of women".
Without naming Shiv Sena, Gandhi said BJP's alliance partner in Maharashtra threatens Biharis and those from Uttar Pradesh to leave the state.
"In Bihar, they talk about Biharis; In Maharashtra, they talk against Biharis," he alleged.
He said the 'India Shining' campaign of the NDA flopped in 2004 was because the BJP had 'ignored' the poor and mistook that only if some 'big houses' and some politicians shined the country would shine.
On the other hand UPA totally involved itself in the uplift of the deprived class and made them partners in the progress. ''Inclusive growth has been our mantra and UPA had made good progress in this sphere,'' he said.
Rahul also addressed public meetings in Gulbarga and in Chitradurga on Friday.
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