Amethi, Apr 20: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the daughter of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, on Monday defended the Congress’ decision to go alone in Uttar Pradesh in ongoing general elections.

Priyanka termed the decision of the Congress as an opportunity to strengthen the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

“This is a good opportunity for the UPA because we are going alone in elections. I think it’s a good opportunity now rather than two years ago,” Priyanka said while addressing an election rally here.

Bhubaneswar, Apr 20: Senior Congress leader and Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma on Monday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani for repeatedly calling Manmohan Singh a ‘weak Prime Minister’.

Patna, Apr 20: Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Anil Kumar Sharma today accused Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav of plotting 1989 Bhagalpur riots and protecting the main conspirers.

Chandigarh, Apr 20: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President and Punjab deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday released his party’s manifesto for general elections.

The party in its manifesto reiterated its commitment to continue its peaceful and democratic struggle for inclusion of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas left out of the state back into Punjab and for getting the river water issue settled on the basis of nationally and internationally accepted Riparian Principle.

Patna, Apr 20: After Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, it was Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s turn to blame the Congress party for the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Lalu has just said that there was a Congress government at the Centre when the Babri mosque was pulled down. Who can dispute this fact?” Paswan told reporters here.

On April 18, Lalu Yadav had blamed the Congress for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.

Paswan also criticized the Congress for attacking him and Lalu.

Allahabad/ Faizabad, Apr 19 : Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said that the Prime Minister as well as the Congress party works according to wishes of common man.

"I want to make one thing very clear to you that our party and our

Prime Minister do not work on the order from any organisation. We work on the order of common man. We work on the wishes of people present here," Sonia Gandhi said at an election rally in Allahabad.