Bhimavaram (AP): Launching NDA's (National Democratic Alliance) poll campaign in southern India, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today (Feb 27, 2004) virtually charged Congress and its new Andhra ally Telangana Rajya Samiti (TRS) with supporting naxalite groups and sought a fresh mandate to make India a superpower in the next 20 years.

Addressing a large gathering at the Lutheran College grounds in this coastal town of Bhimavaram today, Advani asserted there was no place for violence in a democracy.

"We cannot tolerate violence and some parties like Congress and TRS appear to be encouraging these extremist outfits which believe in violence and the power of the bullet, I appeal to you to reject them outright as we believe in the power of people," he said.

These parties were directly or indirectly supporting naxals, which is not good for democracy and they should be discouraged, he said.

Advani regretted that while the NDA Government held elections in Jammu and Kashmir, contain insurgency in Assam with the help of Bhutan Government and held talks with Bodo militants to herald peace to pave the way for development, "Congress and TRS have been treading a path which could encourage naxalites to step up their activities, which is a threat to democracy."