Cuttack: Accusing the Congress of being "incompetent" while in the Government and "irresponsible" in Opposition, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today (April 14, 2004) asked the people to give "rest" to the party saying it would provide relief to the country.

"The Congress was incompetent as a ruling party and its behaviour is irresponsible while in the Opposition," he told a rally here just ahead of the conclusion of his "Bharat Uday Yatra" in Puri this evening.

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He expressed concern at the "plight" of the Congress and said he was no longer angered by its behaviour, but felt pity for it.

Asking the people of Orissa to "rest" the party, he said, "People in other States have done so. It would also provide some relief from the Congress' practises."

Raking up the leadership issue again, Advani said that during the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Congress had projected Sonia Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate but it could not afford to do so for the coming elections. He likened the situation to India publishing its list of players alongwith the captain and Australia saying that it would announce the skipper after the match was over.

He also came down heavily upon the Congress for boycotting the unveiling of Veer Savarkar's portrait in the Central Hall of the Parliament last year.

Speaking at Dhenkanal, he hailed the Vajpayee Government for improving Indo-Pak relations, checking terrorism in Kashmir besides bringing economic stability to the country.