"It is because their patriotism is in doubt that they are attempting to create an impression in the minds of the people that I am not a patriot," she said without naming any BJP leader, at largely attended election meetings here, Dehradun and Saharanpur.

"These very (BJP) leaders now stand exposed for betraying the real freedom fighters," Gandhi said in an obvious reference to an allegation by all India freedom fighters association that a statement made by Prime Minister AB Vajpayee before a magistrate in 1942 had led to the imprisonment of some freedom fighters, a charge denied by him recently.

"How can the citizens of this country trust and believe the words of such leaders," Gandhi, who was accompanied by her son Rahul, said.

She said she would not be cowed down by false accusationsand character assassination which the BJP leaders were resorting to due to her overwhelming popularity.

She would continue to pursue the path of service to the people despite these accusations, Sonia said.

She accused the BJP government of acting irresponsibly concerning relations with Pakistan. "The government was unaware of Pakistani infiltrators in Kargil and it was shameful that even while the war was on and Indian soldiers were dying, the government continued to import sugar from across the border paying crores of rupees to an enemy state, despite the fact that the country's godowns were overflowing."

She said even though Vajpayee had denied it, "It has now been proved beyond doubt that these imports were taking place even while the war was on."Gandhi said at the election meeting in Dehradun that if the Congress was voted to power it would create a separate state of Uttarakhand, comprising hilly areas of western UP.

She told a large number of people displaced by Tehri dam, who had come to hearher, that the Congress was seized of their problems and would endeavour to solve them after coming to power.

Referring to the Congress manifesto and the programmes for Dalits, weaker sections, women and children, she said the party was committed to ensuring that children up to the age of 14 years received primary education by the year 2003 and that the girl child got free education till the university level.

Addressing voters in Shimla, Gandhi charged the BJP-led government at the Centre and the non-Congress governments in the state with destroying the panchayati raj institution.

Gandhi asked the people to vote for a strong and stable government which "the Congress alone would be able to provide".