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Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday took pride in her party being "consistent" on important issues, including economic reforms, whether it was in power or in the Opposition.

She called upon the government to not only introduce the Women's Reservation Bill, but also pass it, and strongly attacked the BJP's "real agenda", which remained a "threat to secularism".

Gandhi's speech at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) yesterday, emphasised that although her party had supported the government on important economic issues like the insurance Bill, the Congress was ideologically different from the BJP or its national coalition, the ruling National Democratic Alliance.

During the current session, the Congress has often come under fire from socialists in the Opposition as well as the communists for supporting the NDA. This allegation was levelled particularly during the debate on the insurance Bill.

Apparently, this was in Gandhi's mind when she said, "What distinguishes us from the NDA partners, and the BJP in particular, is that we are consistent...In contrast, the ruling coalition is characterised by its chronic habit of saying one thing in Opposition and quite the opposite when in government."

Refering to the "good example" of the IRDA Bill, Gandhi said that when in Opposition, the BJP bitterly and aggressively attacked it. "Now they are on the treasury benches, they have made total turnabout", she said.

Gandhi mentioned how her party was instrumental in sending Patents Bill and a Bill on plant protection to select committee, since the issues involved required careful examination.

Refering to the Women's Reservation Bill, Gandhi stressed it should not only be introduced, but should be discussed and passed, since mere introduction could be "a technique for disguising the real intent".

Gandhi also attacked the BJP on the Ayodhya issue. "It is clear that this issue (Ayodhya) remains very much part of the BJP's agenda, as do other contentious issues," and "the threat to secularism from the BJP's real agenda remains as looming and menacing as ever", she said.

There was a reference to talks between the government and the Congress talks on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in Gandhi's speech but it did not reflect the party's view on the issue. Gandhi merely said senior party leaders would reflect on the issue when it comes up for debate in Rajya Sabha.