Shillong, Apr 13: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said the country needed a strong and stable government to protect and promote secular values and communal harmony.

"The country needs a government that is strong and stable and will protect and promote secular values and communal harmony. Only Congress can give such a government," Sonia Gandhi said while addressing an election rally here.

Gandhi reiterated that the Indo-US nuclear deal would reap the benefit in the long run.

"Despite opposition from certain quarters, we went ahead with the civil nuclear deal. The deal is in the interest of the country. It will help meet the power requirement and boost electricity generation," she added.

Gandhi also criticized those who called her late husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as a `computer boy', and said: "they had made fun of Rajiv for his IT vision. Today, the country is reaping the benefits of his vision. His vision brought the country into the IT and telecom age." (ANI)