Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan): The Congress on March 17 charged the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre with failing to control the forces dividing the Indian society on communal lines.

Country's unity would be in danger if the divisive forces succeed in breaking and shattering communal harmony in the society, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said addressing a public rally after unveiling a life-size statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Balika Niketan in Arawada village.

The NDA government has not only failed in its duty to control divisive forces but also in adopting policies which were making lives of poor people and farmers difficult, she said.

Farmers, she said, were the worst hit by the policies of the Central government.

Saying that every elected government had the moral responsibility to honour its poll promises, the Congress president alleged the Vajpayee government had just forgotten all of its promises made to the electorate.

However, she said, the Congress was implementing its election manifesto in all the states where it was in power.

Talking about the current drought and famine conditions in different parts of the country, she recalled as to how the Centre efficiently tackled the relief measures by liberally assisting states in 1986 when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.

Gandhi alleged that the Centre was discriminating against Rajasthan which had been facing severe drought and famine for the fourth consecutive year.

The Centre had sanctioned only 21 lakh tonnes of wheat against the Rajasthan government's demand of 42 lakh tonnes for relief works even as 53 million tonnes of foodgrain was rotting in godowns, she said.

She commended the Gehlot government for successfully tackling the drought situation in the desert state despite facing severe financial crunch.

Gandhi stressed the need for girls' education which alone, she said, could transform the society and take the nation forward.

She dwelt at length on the achievements of successive Congress governments in the country after Independence before the Opposition parties came to power and "destroyed everything".

She became emotional while recalling the chronology of events at the meeting venue at Arawada. While Indira Gandhi had unveiled the statue of Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi unveiled the statue of Indira Gandhi and today Sonia Gandhi was unveiling the statue of Rajiv Gandhi at the same premises.

Congress leaders Ambika Soni, Natwar Singh and Sheesh Ramola besides Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Girija Vyas were present on the occasion.

PTI