Thursday, March 10 2005 13:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Buoyed by a favourable Supreme Court verdict, leader of Opposition L K Advani today (Mar 10, 2005) made a scathing attack on Congress and its Communist allies alleging they were opposed to democracy rather than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and called for a countrywide campaign against it.

The party also decided to defend the Supreme Court verdict on Jharkhand if it comes under attack.

Addressing the weekly BJP Parliamentary Party meeting in New Delhi, Advani alleged that Congress has "murdered democracy" whenever the judiciary has sought to defend it.

In this regard, he mentioned the landmark verdict of the Allahabad High Court declaring then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's election as null and void, which eventually led to the imposition of Emergency, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters in Delhi briefing about the meeting.

"They are more opposed to democracy rather than BJP. All people believing in democracy should unite and launch a country wide campaign against the assault on democracy," he said.

The BJP Chief said that the Supreme Court had yesterday (Mar 9, 2005) given a "firm response" to the "fraud committed on the Constitution" and asked party Members to rise to the defence of the verdict if others raise objections to it in both Houses of Parliament.

While the Congress and Left Parties expected it to accept the judicial verdict in the Ayodhya and Gujarat issue, when it comes to Jharkhand "they have a different yardstick", Malhotra said quoting Advani.

Party members also expressed concern over the plight of farmers including the "raw deal" meted out to cotton farmers and suicide by farmers in Andhra Pradesh and decided to raise the issue vociferously in both Houses.

BJP Parliamentary party chairman and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not present as he has been advised a week's rest by doctors following a back pain.

The meeting, which usually takes place on Tuesday, was deferred to today on account of Mahashivratri.