LUDHIANA:Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today said that the Congress party had a history and tradition of sacrifice for safeguarding the unity and integrity of the country, while other parties had only the history of hatred to their credit.

Paying tributes to former minister Joginderpal Pandey on his twenty-ninth martyrdom anniversary here today, Tewari pointed out, not only had the Congress leaders and workers laid down their lives during the independent struggle against the foreign rulers, even after the independence they laid down their lives for the sake of unity and integrity of the country. He said, late Joginderpal Pandey was one such great martyr.

The Union Minister dared all those who were claiming to safeguard the national interest to cite one example that could match in anyway the sacrifices of the Congress leaders. He said, even today such forces under the garb of nationalism were trying to raise their ugly head with a single aim to divide the people that can ultimately lead to further division of the country.

Tewari, who himself belongs to the family of martyrs as his father was assassinated by terrorists in 1984, stated that only Congress could provide the country a stable and secular government which will be sensitive towards the sentiments of all sections of the society.

He pointed out, in Punjab also it was mainly the Congress leaders led by late Beant Singh and others like late Pandey who laid down their lives to retrieve the peace and harmony inPunjab. “I want to remind all those who are reaping the harvest of peace today to remember people like Joginderpal Pandey and thousands others who gave their lives for the peace in Punjab”, he said in an impassioned tone touching everybody present.

Among others present on the occasion included Rakesh Pandey, a former minister and son of Joginderpal Pandey, Parminder Mehta and others.