Sonia, Manmohan target Modi govt
NEW DELHI: United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh took on PM Narendra Modi on Sunday, saying that during his tenure, India had turned into a land of “hatred, anger and violence” and democracy was put in danger.
“The government takes parliamentary majority as a license to do whatever it likes. They think it is their right to crush any dissent,” Gandhi said while addressing the Congress’s Jan Aakrosh rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
Gandhi accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of “muzzling dissenting voices, weakening democratic institutions and dividing communities” for electoral gains.
“Judiciary is passing through an unprecedented crisis. Media can’t play its role, it is being stopped from doing so... It is a sensitive phase we need to take seriously... we will fight this on behalf of the people,” she told a well-attended gathering.
Gandhi said the Congress leadership that had taken part in the freedom struggle had envisioned a new India founded on the values of truth, love and non-violence. “But what has happened in the last four years? Today falsehood, hatred, anger and violence are the order of the day. Those who raise their voice against this face the wrath of the Modi government,” she said and added that all sections of the society were “suffering” during Modi’s tenure.
“It is sad to see that our society is suffering from unprecedented violence and hatred today. The nation is going through difficult and turbulent times under Prime Minister Modi,” she said.
Alluding to the cases related to crimes against women and farm distress, Gandhi said: “Rapists are being shielded, unemployment level is high, farmers are committing suicide, and atrocities on women have increased so much that even little girls are not safe and the culprits are being saved by this government.”
Singh, who was often at the receiving end of Modi’s barbs during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, said anger had shot up among all sections of the society in the last four years due to the rising threat to the safety of people and the vanishing employment opportunities.
Singh charged the government with thwarting the Opposition’s no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, saying the NDA conspired to stop the no-trust vote from
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Decades ago, Congress took an oath to protect country’s pride and democracy. We will fulfil the same and protect our tricolour. Time for changing this government has come.
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JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, Cong MP People are tired of Modi government and the BJP has been exposed. Rahul Gandhi has challenged the PM on issues related to farmers, youths and also spoken about (BJP’s) bid to undermine constitutional institutions.
SACHIN PILOT, Congress leader
being taken up in Parliament.
“The manner in which the Modi government is functioning, it can also pose a threat to democracy in the country. In the last few days, what happened in Parliament is before the people of the country (to see),” the former prime minister said.