MUZAFFARNAGAR, Feb 14: Senior BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee today strongly refuted Sonia Gandhi's charge that he had lied to the nation on the Bofors issue.Sonia had alleged in her rally in New Delhi on Friday that the party was trying to spread disinformation that Rajiv Gandhi had taken commission in the Bofors gun deal.
Addressing an election meeting in the government inter-college grounds here, Vajpayee said, ``I have never lied in the 48 years of my political life. Jin shabdon ka ishtamal Sonia ne kiya hai, unhe nahin karna chayiye tha... Meri ek maryada hai.'' (she should not have used such demeaning words...I have some dignity).
He thundered, ``I don't have to lie because I have not taken any commission.'' No one, right from India's first Prime Minister Nehru to the current incumbent I K Gujral, had called me a liar.
He however, agreed with Sonia's demand that the Bofors' papers should be made public. He said, ``the truth should come out, the whole nation is entitled to know it.''
Meanwhilein Tamil Nadu), BJP president L K Advani challenged Sonia for a public debate on the Bofors payoff instead of indulging in ``hit-and-run'' tactics.
Reacting to Sonia's onslaught on Vajpayee, he said, ``I am really shocked to find Sonia hurling abuses at the tallest leader of the country.''
``Vajpayeeji has been in public life since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehruji might have criticised the politics of Atalji and the Jan Sangh. So did Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. But never they descended to this level'', the BJP leader said.
Coming down heavily on Sonia for not facing the media, Advani said while making ``allegations and accusations of this kind'' she should be prepared for a debate.
``You hit and run away. This is unfair. As president of the party, I challenge you for a public debate'', advani said. The BJP leader held that the reason why the Congress campaigner had chosen to ``hurl abuses'' at Vajpayee was that he had asked for truth regarding the Bofors scandal.
``Atalji has been askingfor the truth and nothing but whole truth about Bofors'', Advani said.
Ridiculing the Congress reliance on Sonia factor, Advani said Sonia was just an oxygen cylinder for the Congress which was gasping for breath. ``The oxygen cylinder can not prolong the life of the patient'', he said.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
