Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar likened the battle for the post of UNC leadership to a holy war.
Speaking at the Divali Nagar on Thursday night, Persad-Bissessar quoted the Hindu holy text of the Bhagavad Gita that justifies fighting between family members for the greater good of society.
“Sometimes we need to fight those we love not out of spite or malice but we must do it for the better benefit and for the greater good. At times we have to confront even those closest to us,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said during her stint as the prime minister of T&T she tried as far as possible to close the gap between what religion proposes for a spiritual life and the manifestation of spirituality through her actions.
She said the policies of her administration were people-centred and leaned on the side of compassion.
“I will not be a leader who will see babies and children undernourished and hungry, parents without a roof over their heads, the elderly being unable to take care of their material needs, the health of people beyond their reach. This is why I chose to build hospitals, to build schools and make sure that every child under the age of six has a place in an international standard early childhood centre,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar apologised for the “shortcomings” of her People’s Partnership regime.
“I share the pains of your disappointment and apologise for whatever might have been our shortcomings. But I also commit not to abandon the cause for which we stood together in 2010,” she said.