Sonia asks partymen to hit back, not take criticism lying down

With Government under intense Opposition attack on various issues, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today asked partymen to fight back by not allowing opponents "to get away with propagating negative impressions".
"Why should we allow our opponents to get away with propagating negative impressions? You should ask them: "what have you or your party done to change things in our country ?" I have no doubt that they have no credible answer," Gandhi said addressing an alumni meet of the NSUI.
In the meeting, which was also attended by party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who was earlier incharge of the organisation as AICC general secretary, the Congress chief lauded him for initiating a process of transformation in the student body.

Asking the student wing members of the party to communicate to the people regarding the achievements since independence, Gandhi said, "it is the Congress Party that has worked hard and devoted itself to improve the lives of our people."
"That is why I want to stress your responsibility in actively educating your fellow students about the tremendous effort that has gone into nation building."
She said that it "pains" her when she hears young people complain about the state of our country even after 66 years of independence.
"It seems that we have not been fully able to communicate the great transformation that has taken place. I am aware that much still needs to be done and that young people have very high expectations. Yet, how can any one deny the tremendous achievements that our country has made?," Gandhi said.

Listing the "achievements" of the country since independence, she said that democratic institutions have been set up, strengthened and sustained and lakhs of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people have been empowered through reservation.