Congress to hold rallies to counter opposition charges

Senior party leaders will also address press conferences in different parts of the country to put forth the party and government's viewpoint on issues raised by the opposition and civil society and highlight achievements of the United Progressive Alliance government.
"Big rallies will be held in state capitals by June 30," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said here.

As part of the efforts to deny opposition charges, the Congress Friday came out with a booklet which accuses Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "of a grand design to usurp power through undemocratic means."

The booklet "The Congress view on present situation-I" says that right wing fundamentalist forces were under pressure for losing political ground in the recent elections and for having been found out and being accused in several terrorist cases including bomb blasts in Malegaon, Mecca Masjid and the Samjauta Express.

The booklet said forces of communalism, fundamentalism and extremism don different masks at different times. "They seize every opportunity to push their sinister agenda. They embrace every cause and support every protest, however dubious, as long as they can gain some political mileage," it said.

Without mentioning anti-corruption agitation of Baba Ramdev and statements made by Anna Hazare-led civil society movement on Lokpal bill, the booklet said Congress has provided good governance in United Progressive Alliance governments and will continue to do so.

Listing various anti-corruption measures taken by the government, it hits out at BJP for its poor performance in the recent assembly polls to five states.

The booklet contests several demands of Baba Ramdev including the figure quoted by him of the amount of black money stashed abroad.