Sonia Gandhi blamed the Modi government for 'subverting institutions, hounding political suppressed dissent'
Sonia Gandhi. Pic/AFP
New Delhi: Bluff, bluster, and intimidation have been the philosophy of governance of the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, said UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday. Speaking at the joint meeting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Congress parliamentary party (CPP), Sonia blamed the Modi government for 'subverting institutions, hounding political suppressed dissent' and said, 'bluff, bluster and intimidation'u00c2u009d have been the philosophy of governance of the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Attacking the Centre over Rafale deal, Sonia stated: "Truth and transparency have been brazenly tossed aside. The very foundations of our democratic republic, of our secular republic, have come under systematic assault by the Modi government. The very values, principles and provisions of our Constitution have come under continued attack by the Modi government," she said, adding that the last five years have been a time of unprecedented economic stress and social strain for our country.
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Stating that the mandate of 2014 has been betrayed under the Modi government, Sonia Gandhi said, "Parliament itself has been immeasurably weakened. Debate and discussion are muzzled. The institution of Standing Committees has all but disappeared. The route of the Money Bill, described by one Supreme Court judge as a 'fraud on the Constitution' has been resorted to ever so often to escape legitimate scrutiny in both Houses. "Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded. Dissent has been suppressed. Freedom of speech - the most basic of all freedoms - has been sought to be curtailed and silenced. People with opinions different from the ruling establishment have been victimised. There is an all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife across the country. The North-East is burning. Alienation in Jammu and Kashmir has scaled new heights. Dalits, Adivasis and minorities are being targeted. Farmers are facing unprecedented distress. The youth is staring at the abyss of despair with jobs being destroyed on a scale that has never happened before," she said.
The UPA chairperson also expressed confidence ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as Congress formed the government in three states in the recently held assembly elections. "We go to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with renewed confidence and resolve with our victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Both Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked Narendra Modi government for bad governance, demonetisation, unemployment, and social harmony in the last five years. "Unemployment, Rafale corruption, bad governance, and demonetisation scam have undermined the Modi government's credibility," said Rahul at CPP in Parliament.
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