Belgaum (Karnataka): Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (Apr 13, 2004) asserted that Congress was not a party to be trusted as he lashed out at it for destabilising non-Congress Governments in the past.

Addressing an election meeting in Belgaum, Vajpayee said the Congress had destabilised the Governments of Charan Singh, Chandrashekhar and H D Devegowda and even his, during its 13-day existence.

He said the Congress had suffered a "big defeat" in 1977 in all States except in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and it had not allowed any non-Congress Government to complete its full term.

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"Why does the Congress not allow anyone else to rule. How will the country prosper", he said, adding, "Who will trust the Congress. Who will join hands with it. It is not a party to be trusted."

Vajpayee said, "We are running a coalition Government and we have changed the face of India."

He said though progress had been made in the last 50 years, there were shortcomings. Imbalance in development must be overcome as otherwise it would give rise to discontent.

Asserting that the Union Government had not discriminated against any State or region, he said it had been dealing with all in a fair manner.

"Someone else was Prime Minister yesterday. Today I am the Prime Minister. Tomorrow someone else will be the Prime Minister. Prime Ministers will come. But the country should progress," he said.

Country's progress and development should not suffer because of politics, he said.