Uri, Dec. 3: Sonia Gandhi today chose a town close to Pakistan for her first public appearance since the Mumbai attacks to warn the neighbour India wouldn’t “bow before terror”.

The Congress chief was speaking at a rally in Uri, symbolic for most of the peace gestures on Kashmir in recent years.

One such initiative was the bridge, only 8km away, connecting the Valley with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which was thrown open to limited passenger traffic in April 2005.

The road was recently opened to limited trade between the two parts of Kashmir, months after thousands had tried to march on this path to Muzaffarabad to forcibly open the route during Kashmir’s economic blockade.

Sonia had peace on her lips, telling the gathering how India had “always strived for brotherly relations with the neighbouring country (Pakistan)” but asserted that “nobody should construe our desire as weakness”.

Her “neighbouring country” reference seemed more pointed than the Centre’s recent statements blaming “some elements in Pakistan” for the attacks.

“Those who have this misconception that India will be scared by terrorism should know we have a history of sacrifices. We will never bow before terrorism and shall give a befitting reply to perpetrators of terror,” she said.

The Congress chief sought to separate terror from faith, saying it had no religion and that the “politics of terrorism is fundamentally against democracy”.

Sonia pointed to the high turnout of voters in Kashmir during the ongoing polls, holding it up as a sign of faith in democracy. “I congratulate the people for showing enthusiasm in the polls. They have again shown faith in democracy. I hope those who have called for boycott (of the elections) will respect the sentiment and work for peace.”

Sonia, who earlier arrived to a tumultuous reception from the crowd, urged them to vote for the Congress.