The Congress on Sunday released a seven-point ‘chargesheet’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government which has now completed seven years in power.
In a virtual press conference, the party general secretary Randeep Surjewala accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of reversing all economic gains made by the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, insensitive treatment of the farmers, inept handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and failing to protect the country against threats from China.
According to the ‘chargesheet’ by main Opposition party, the Modi government was the weakest government India had had in 73 years.
“When the UPA government demitted office in 2014, the GDP was 8.1%… Even before the pandemic hit in 2019-20 the GDP had fallen to 4.2%. In the first quarter of the 2020-21, the GDP was down to minus 24.1% and in the second quarter it is now minus 7.5%. It is estimated that in 2020-21 the GDP will be close to minus 8%,” Surjewala told reporters.
While raising the issue of unemployment, he said: “in seven years they should have provided 14 crore jobs. Forget about 14 crore jobs, the unemployment rate is on a 45-year high.”
“Petrol is selling at ₹100 per litre while mustard oil at ₹200 per litre. The LPG cylinders are at ₹809 per. The rate of pulses is also skyrocketing,” Congress leader added.
Surjewala also slammed the saffron party government for its insensitive attitude towards the farmers. He alleged that the Narendra Modi government wanted big corporations to replace the small farmers.
While talking about the World Bank report that claimed that during the UPA years 27 crore persons overcame extreme poverty while the PEW Research Centre in 2020 said middle class had shrunk in India with nearly 3.20 crore people being pushed off the grid, Congress leader said that the current “government is not against poverty, they are against the poor.”
Congress reiterated its earlier allegation that the China continued to “occupy the Indian territory with impunity in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.”
Regarding coronavirus cases and vaccination, he asks: “Will the Modi government explain why there is a paucity of vaccines? And if there were no vaccines for us then why were 6.63 crore vaccines sent to the other countries.”
