New Delhi: The Prime Minister has “completely failed” to be a unifier when the situation demanded, whether it was the Delhi riots or the Manipur unrest, but it is “unsurprising for a leader who came to prominence during riots in his own state”, the Congress said Friday.
The opposition party made this charge against PM Narendra Modi in a document to sum up the nine years of his government in power.
“In times of social unrest, it is crucial for leaders to play a unifying role by promoting dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation. However, the Prime Minister has completely failed to do so. Despite his continuous stream of activity and statements, he never calls for peace and harmony in India — not when peaceful protestors are attacked, not when riots happen in Delhi, and not when Manipur burns,” the document, titled ‘9 Saal, 9 Sawaal’ (9 Questions, 9 years), says.
“This is perhaps unsurprising for a leader who came to prominence during riots in his own state of Gujarat, a singular failure of administration that he has yet to answer for,” it adds.
On Friday, former Union minister Jairam Ramesh released a 31-page document on nine issues related to economy, farmers, corruption, China and national security, social harmony, social justice, democracy and federalism, welfare schemes and Covid management.
9 years
9 questions
0 answers
The PM is rather predictable.#NaakamiKe9Saal pic.twitter.com/db8JkJibXf
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 26, 2023
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Disturbing links with terrorism
Leveling serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress party said the ruling party has “disturbing links with terrorism”.
Under the category of national securities, apart from raising the issue of China, the absence of national security strategy and security “lapses” during the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, the Congress party gives a list of former BJP leaders, who were allegedly involved in or supporting terror activities in their states.
The document highlights three such cases, two from Jammu & Kashmir and one from Assam.
“The Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Talib Hussain Shah, who had been captured in Jammu and Kashmir by the local residents, was a BJP office-bearer in the state. Former BJP leader Tariq Ahmad Mir was arrested in 2020 for procuring weapons for Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naveed Babu. In 2017, Assam BJP leader Niranjan Hojai was sentenced to life imprison- ment. He was found to be involved in a scam worth Rs. 1,000 crore in which funds were diverted to support a militant group.” read the document
Corruption protected by Modi govt
Other allegations against the PM and the BJP include encouraging hate speech, targeting of religious minorities, attack on reservations through reckless privatisation of PSUs, silence on China, failure to address farmer suicides, tax terrorism, failure to curb unemployment and inflation.
“Why are you silent on rampant corruption in BJP-ruled states, and why are you letting Indians suffer?” the document says, regarding the issue of corruption.
Under the heading of ”corruption and cronyism”, the Congress calls the BJP a “washing machine at work”.
The party alleges that the BJP leaders have been “protected by the Modi government.”
“A Rs16,000 crore mining scam by the Bellary brothers of Karnataka was washed clean after they re-joined BJP. The whitewashing of Himanta Biswa Sarma, an accused in the Saradha chit scam, was made the CM after he joined BJP. Suvendu Adhikari from West Bengal, an accused in the Narada sting who went on to join the BJP. Narayan Rane was accused of a money-laundering racket and was made a Union Minister,” it says.
It further attacks the BJP for joining hands with the Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) to form the government in Meghalaya, after calling it a “corrupt” party. “Home Minister Amit Shah accused the NPP-led government in Meghalaya of being the most corrupt government in India, and BJP joined the government post elections. All of these show that corruption by BJP leaders has been protected by the Modi government,” it adds.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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