Baharampur (West Bengal), Apr 28 : Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that she was with the people of Nandigram in their sorrow and hardship and indirectly criticised the West Bengal Government Bengal for its handling of the situation in that area.

Addressing a public meeting at the Young Men's Association (YMA) ground here, Gandhi said: "I am with the people of Nandigram who faced sorrow and hardship, especially with the women, children and farmers."

She further said: "If law and order machinery did not work properly, the whole system gets affected. This is wrong and this should not happen."

Sonia said that the Congress officer-bearers here complained of repeated torture and atrocities against the people, but in a democracy there is no place for political violence.

“The people are concerned with it and there should not be any discrimination in maintaining law and order,” she added.

Sonia said that to keep communal forces out of power the party had taken the support of the secular parties, but asserted the Congress would not sacrifice its ideologies and policies at any cost.

The Congress has every right to fight against injustice wherever it is done, she added.

Sonia also asked the Congress leaders to create awareness of the role played by the party in formulating the waiving farmers loan worth Rs 60,000 crore.

The Congress president’s visit here assumed significance in view of next month's panchayat elections in the state since Murshidabad is one of the two districts where Congress controls the zilla parishad. (ANI)