‘11 terror attacks in region in past few weeks’
NEW DELHI, July 31:
Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi today said there is deeply disturbing news in national security issues as over the past few weeks, there have been at least 11 terror attacks in the Jammu region alone.
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“There have been similar attacks in the Valley as well. Security personnel and a large number of civilians have lost their lives. This makes a mockery of the claims being made by the Modi Government that all is well in J-K,” she said addressing the CPP meeting.
Gandhi said the situation in Manipur shows no sign of any improvement.
“The Prime Minister travels the world over, but steadfastly refuses to go to the State and take the initiative to bring about normalcy,” she said.
With Assembly polls in key states coming up, Sonia Gandhi said the “mahaul (public mood)” is in the party’s favour but cautioned against complacency and over confidence after the goodwill generated for it in the Lok Sabha elections.
Gandhi claimed that the Modi Government had not drawn the right lessons from “their significant decline” in the Lok Sabha elections and alleged that it was persisting with its policy of “dividing communities and spreading an atmosphere of fear and animosity”.
“Fortunately, the Supreme Court intervened at the right time,” she said in an apparent reference to the stay on the orders passed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Government asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the name of owners.
“But this can only be a temporary respite. Look at how the rules have been suddenly changed to permit the bureaucracy to participate in the activities of the RSS. It calls itself a cultural organisation but the whole world knows that it is the BJP’s political and ideological base,” Gandhi said.
Noting that elections will be held in four States, she urged party leaders to sustain the momentum and goodwill that had been generated for the party in the Lok Sabha elections.
“We must not become complacent and over confident. The ‘mahaul’ does favour us, but we have to work unitedly with a sense of purpose. I dare say that if we perform well, reflecting the trend that we witnessed in the Lok Sabha elections, national politics will undergo a transformation,” Gandhi said.
The former Congress president’s remarks come ahead of Assembly polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand as also the possibility of elections in Jammu and Kashmir this year.
She also slammed the Union Budget, saying that the pressing demands of farmers and youth in particular, have been totally ignored.
Allocations in a number of vital sectors have not done justice to the tasks required to be fulfilled, she said.
There has been widespread disappointment with the Budget despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talking up the Budget and its “so-called accomplishments”, Gandhi said.
The Union Government, especially its top leadership, continues to be “self-delusional” as crores of families across the country are devastated by mounting unemployment and price rise, she said.
Gandhi said education has been amongst the worst casualties in the past years. Instead of taking the nation forward, the entire educational system is being shown up as flawed and manipulated, she alleged.
“The exposure of how competitive examinations have been allowed has destroyed the faith of lakhs of youth and dealt their future a body blow. The professional character and autonomy of organisations like the NCERT, UGC and even of Constitutional bodies like the UPSC has been all-but-destroyed,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi also congratulated both Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as well as other party MPs who spoke out and expressed the party’s views forcefully, along with other INDIA parties during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
“Over the last few days, many of you have very effectively brought out the Budget’s many inadequacies when it comes to addressing urgent economic and social challenges,” she told the party MPs in both Houses.
Gandhi also claimed that it is clear that the Government has no intention whatsoever to conduct the Census that was last due in 2021.
“This will prevent us from having an up-to-date estimate of the population of the country, especially of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. It also means that at least 12 crore of our citizens are denied the benefit of the National Food Security Act of 2013 – now repackaged as PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana,” she said.
Noting that many from the party were first time MPs, she urged them to be fully prepared, be present in Parliament regularly, remain vigilant at all times and take committee assignments seriously.
Gandhi also extended deepest condolences to the families bereaved by the horrendous calamity that has overtaken Wayanad.
“The scale of devastation has been staggering. Our colleagues in the state have mobilised themselves for providing all assistance. There have been huge floods in other parts of the country as well and we extend our sympathies to the affected families,” she said.
“Apart from natural disasters, our people continue to lose their lives in railway accidents that are caused by mismanagement. Our thoughts are with these victims as well,” Gandhi added.
During the general body meeting of the CPP in Central Hall, Samvidhan Sadan, a resolution authorising Gandhi to appoint other office-bearers of the CPP was also passed. (PTI)
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