People changing faces cannot be true friends: Sonia

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today took a jibe at the BJP and Nitish Kumar for "changing face from time to time" and said that they could not be true friends of the people.

"The country is passing through an examination and those changing face from time to time cannot be your true friends," Gandhi said while campaigning for Congress candidate and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

"Log samay samay par apna chehra badalte hain aur apne nakamiyo ko chipane ke liye Congress par arop lagate hai (People change face from time to time and to shield their failures, blame Congress)," she said during her 15 minute address here.

"They are throwing dust in eyes of people only for sake of the chair," Gandhi said."Loktantra ko muthi me karna chahte hai (they want to seize democracy in their fist)," she said in her maiden poll campaign in Bihar, adding that Congress was needed for development and communal harmony in the country.

Gandhi also attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar without naming him.

"Some people in a bid to shield their failure blame the Congress," she said. Attacking BJP, she said the party was acting as if only they had done all the development work in the country and others did not do anything. "Kewal wo hi sache hai (only they are true)," she said.

Referring to enactment of MNREGA, Right to Education, Food Security Law and Land Acquisition law, the UPA Chairperson praised the performance of the Manmohan Singh government in last 10 years and said the ruling coalition had "almost" fulfilled all the promises it made in 2004 as well in 2009.

Reminding people of the glorious history of Congress, Gandhi said the party ushered in development of all states without political considerations and worked tirelessly to maintain communal harmony in the country.

Gandhi also invoked dalit icon Babu Jagjivan Ram's name and praised his daughter Meira Kumar for carrying forward the work initiated by him.

Highlighting commitment of the Congress toward women's empowerment, she said the party made Meira Kumar the first woman to occupy the high constitutional post.

She said that because of the efforts of Meira Kumar, the Durgawati water reservoir project was in the last stage of completion. The foundation of the project which was laid by her father Jagjiwan Ram in 1976 could not be completed in time due to various reasons.

She said despite Congress not being in power in Bihar for many years, UPA government had provided huge funds to the state for development and asked the people to see whether they were properly utilised.

She also reminded that her party provided many trains to Sasaram like Garib Rath and Rajdhani. Referring to Congress latest election manifesto, she said the party promised to provide right to health to citizens.

Kanti Singh, RJD candidate from neighbouring Karakat constituency was present on the dais. Gandhi sought votes for Singh and appealed to the people to strengthen Congress, RJD and NCP alliance in the polls.

Absence of RJD chief Lalu Prasad or any leader of his party at Rahul Gandhi's rally two days ago at Aurangabad had provided opportunity to the opposition to highlight fissure in the tie-up.

Meira Kumar said the country was standing at a crucial juncture whether to go on the path of communalism or secularism.