E-Paper
‘Govt trying to hide real issues and make people fight’: Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and added that the Congress will not lag behind in its duty of saving the country and democracy till the last breath.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday called on the people to rise to save democracy, Constitution and to fight against “injustice” perpetrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking at the Bharat Bachao (Save India) rally in New Delhi, she called suffering injustice the biggest crime. “The time has come to save the country and we have to struggle hard for it.”
She hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and added that the Congress will not lag behind in its duty of saving the country and democracy till the last breath.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other top Congress leaders also spoke at the rally, which was initially scheduled to be held in October to mark the culmination of a 10-day nationwide agitation against economic slowdown, price rise, unemployment, and agrarian crisis.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act that was passed this week and the violent protests it has triggered in the Northeast featured prominently in the speeches of the Congress leaders.
Sonia Gandhi referred to “the confused leader and chaotic state” and added the country is asking where is Modi’s promised “sabka sath, sabka vikas [collective efforts and inclusive growth]”.
In her 12-minute speech, Sonia Gandhi said that the government cares neither about Parliament nor other institutions. “The only agenda of Modi and Shah is to hide real issues and make people fight. They violate the Constitution every day and then also celebrate the Constitution Day.”
Rahul Gandhi accused Modi of single-handedly “destroying” the country’s economy. “All of India’s enemies wanted its economy, which is its strength, should be destroyed. That work has been done by Modi and he still calls himself a patriot.”
He added that Modi only thinks about how to stay in power. “They will do anything for the power; make the youths unemployed, destroy the economy....” Rahul Gandhi alleged that the people looking after various institutions, including the judiciary, have forgotten their work. “There are many honest industrialists in this country. I believe if farmers and labourers make this country, honest industrialists, too, contribute to its growth.”
Rahul Gandhi said that the Goods and Services Tax has led to the highest rate of unemployment in 45 years and low GDP growth of 4% and that too after changing the way it is calculated. “As per the previous method of calculating the GDP, it is only 2.5%.”
Priyanka Gandhi spoke about the death of a woman after five men, including two of the latter’s alleged rapists, allegedly set her on fire in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao this month. “When I saw the father of the Unnao rape victim crying, I remembered my own father [Rajiv Gandhi] whose body I saw as a 19-year-old. My father’s blood is in this soil just as the blood of the Unnao victim is nurturing this earth. This country is ours and it is our moral duty to save it.”
She said that farmers are under stress. “The poor are burdened with difficulties while the rich and their coffers are being filled. Today someone who does not fight against this injustice will be called a coward.”
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called the economic slowdown a deepening crisis and added that the Modi government offered only promises like turning India into a $5 trillion economy by 2024. “Now, it has been proven that these promises were false and people were misled.”
Senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the youth and farmers are helpless. “The farmer is not getting the right price for his crop and the youth are in search of jobs. The message of the rally is not revenge but that change is extremely necessary. This message should go to every nook and corner...”
Chief ministers of Rajasthan (Ashok Gehlot), Madhya Pradesh (Kamal Nath), Chhattisgarh (Bhupesh Baghel) and Pudducherry (V Narayansamy) were among those who attended the rally, where the Congress released hundreds of black balloons as a mark of protest against the government.
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh was not present at the rally.
In poll-bound Jharkhand, Shah hit back at the Congress as he addressed election rallies at separate places. He said that Rahul Gandhi is making “noises” and is ignorant of India’s history.
