NEW DELHI, Feb 26: Congress today questioned BJP on its stand on Article 370 in the context of it forming Government with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir even as it targeted the Modi dispensation over various issues, including communal remarks made by BJP and Sangh leaders.
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia referred to the issue while participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha during which he also slammed the Government over “bullet train of Ordinances” and moves to amend the Land Acquisition Act.
“You are going to form Government with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir. I want to know what is your stand on Article 370 now,” Scindia asked BJP which is close to forming coalition Government in the State.
BJP has maintained that Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, should be abrogated while PDP’s stand is just the opposite.
Accusing the Government of doing “U-turns”, the Congress leader said the people were realising this. He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘sabka sath, sabka vikas’ and said it was just a “cliche”.
Attacking the Government over Ordinances, he said, “Eight Ordinances were brought in by NDA Government and seven was promulgated within 15 days of adjournment of the Winter session… People did not get Bullet Train, but they have got Bullet Train of Ordinances in the country.”
He referred to the Land Acquisition Ordinance and said it would hurt farmers and poor people.
Accusing the Government of bringing in the Land Acquisition Ordinance without a discussion, he said “bringing Ordinances in this fashion is a breach of right of this House… Congress will fight tooth and nail anything that is anti-farmer”.
Scindia also attacked BJP for communal remarks made by some of its leaders as well as those from RSS.
Attacking BJP for terming people from North East in Delhi as “immigrants”, the Congress leader said “people had heard about religious polarisation, now it is becoming regional polarisation”.
He said the NDA Government is staking claim for Aadhaar initiative and also the reforms in insurance sector while both were the brain-child of the erstwhile UPA Government.
He also targeted the Government over E-rickshaw Ordinance, saying it was done keeping in mind the Delhi Assembly polls, but “people have made Delhi BJP-mukt”.
AAP swept the Assembly polls, bagging 67 seats in the 70-member House. BJP got just 3 while Congress got none.
Scindia also picked holes in the Jan Dhan scheme of the Government saying of the 13.2 crore bank accounts opened, 8.5 crore accounts were zero balance.
Dharam Vira Gandhi (AAP) accused the Government of not protecting the spirit of secularism in the country. “People are living in an atmosphere of suspicion,” he said.
Terming President address as a jugglery of words, Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) said it demonstrates “more words and less work” of the Government.
E Ahamed (IUML) said the President address lack the mention of political will in maintaining communal harmony and punishment for hate mongers. He demanded statement from the Prime Minister in the House on the Government’s policy in protecting the interest of minority community.
Anupriya Patel, whose Apna Dal is a constituent of ruling NDA, wanted the Government to have a rethink on the Land Acquisition bill, saying it might hurt the interest of poor farmers and those dependent on livelihood on land.
Former Speaker and leader of National People’s Party (NPP) P A Sangma praised Modi’s initiatives but expressed concern over actions of Hindutva outfits as well as attacks on churches.
The recent attack on Mother Teresa by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also came in for flak from him as he said she believed in “converting” people into better beings.
Bhagwat had reportedly said conversion was the motivation behind Teresa’s charitable works.
Muzaffar Hussain Baig (PDP) called for harmony in the society, saying different communities have added to the country’s civilisation and it was not monopoly of one community or race.
Dushyant Chautala (INLD) regretted that the NDA Government did not talk about controlling population and given the rate of growth, India would soon surpass China.
Observing that the benefits of development should reach the last person, Prahlad Joshi (BJP) said things are moving and people are feeling that today there is a Government which will take care of their problems.
Vijay Kumar Hansdak (JMM) appreciated the ‘swacch bharat’ programme of the Government but expressed concern over the Land Acquisition Bill saying it was against the interest of the farmers and tribals.
N K Premachandran (RSP) said that nothing had happened in the last nine months and the President’s address was only ‘old wine in new bottle’.
Asaduddin Owaisi (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) wanted to know why the Modi Government was not taking action against those people who are trying to spread communal hatred.
Jose K Mani (Kerala Congress) regretted that the Modi Government was more keen on protecting the interest of corporates at the cost of common man.
Talking about the nine months of the NDA Government, C N Jayadevan (CPI) said “we are hearing lot of sound coming out from kitchen, but the food is not coming out.” (PTI)
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