Addressing an impressive gathering at the Sector 17 Parade Grounds here today evening, the Prime Minister said that with all relevant papers in this regard being sent to court, anyone from the public could scrutinise them.

Vajpayee, who had come in support of the BJP-SAD nominee for the lone Chandigarh seat, Krishan Lal Sharma, also launched his election campaign in the Union Territory. In his half-an-hour speech in Hindi, Vajpayee also listed the achievements of the 13-month-old BJP government and called upon the electorate to vote it to power again to help it complete all its unfulfilled tasks.

Stating that Pakistan had not accepted the United Nations resolutions as per which they were to leave occupied areas of Kashmir, he reiterated that Jammu & Kashmir remained an integral part of India. He added that Pakistan would not be successful in its attempts to win over any part of Kashmir even in the next 50 years.

Instead of resolving disputes through talks, Vajpayee said, Pakistan sent intruders into Kargil, taking advantage of political instability in India triggered by the pulling down of his government by the Opposition. Complimenting the jawans and officers for the Kargil victory, the PM said India advocated peace the world over and thus was reiterating the demand for negotiations.

"We could have crossed the Line of Control during the Kargil action, but restrained ourselves, not because we were weak or were under any kind of pressure, but because we wanted to send all over the message of peace," he said. This had won appreciation from majority of the countries. Picturising the Kargil conflict in his impressive speech, the PM said "the credit of the Kargil victory does not go to me, but to those jawans who shed their blood in hostile climatic conditions to safeguard the motherland".

Vajpayee also came down heavily on the Congress for its "negative role" all along the Pokharan-2 and Kargil episodes, unlike the BJP stand when they were in the Opposition. Vajpayee later claimed that if the NDA was voted to power again, it would implement the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, eradicate corruption, provide more employment and upliftment of the poor, besides other issues. Others who also spoke included former MP Satya Pal Jain, former Mayor Gian Chand Gupta, BJP president D.P. Gupta and BJP general secretary Narendra Modi.

Assurance on helmets
On the demand for exempting women from wearing helmets, Vajpayee assures the public that they would bring about a legislation soon after coming to power, thus not making it compulsory upon women to wear helmets. The demand to exempt women from the wearing of helmets was raised by Krishan Lal Sharma and SAD local president Gurpratap Singh Riar.