NEW DELHI, May 26: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing nine years in office, the Congress today demanded his apology for what it said was “betrayal” of the people and asked him nine questions on issues ranging from rising prices and unemployment to national security and social harmony.
The Opposition party also said the Government should mark this day as ‘Maafi Diwas’ and released a booklet ‘Nau saal, Nau sawaal’. It said Modi became the Prime Minister on this day nine years ago and therefore, the party wants to ask nine questions of him.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took to Twitter and said, “In last 9 years, the Modi Government has become a “Vishwaguru” in snatching away employment of crores of youths” and used the hashtag “#NaakamiKe9Saal” to mark the occasion.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, “The BJP built its edifice in 9 years on false promises and people’s suffering.”
“Inflation, hatred and unemployment – Prime Minister ji, take responsibility of these failures of yours,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag and shared the nine questions to the Prime Minister.
Party general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh told a press conference that Gandhi had raised critical issues during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the nine questions are based on that.
Flanked by party colleagues Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate, Ramesh said the booklet is a report card of the nine years of the Modi Government and Congress leaders will hold press conferences in 35 cities across the country on Saturday to highlight the “failures” of the Government.
“We want the Prime Minister to break his silence on these nine questions,” he said, adding that Modi speaks when he needs to be silent and prefers to remain silent when he needs to speak up.
Ramesh also said that during the last nine years, the Prime Minister has rebranded schemes of the UPA by giving new names to them and has become the ‘prachar mantri’ by working hard on doing branding and marketing of such programmes.
He also claimed that the “clean chit” given to China on June 19, 2020 has proved “very dangerous” for India, whereby its negotiating position was weakened.
Posing the questions to the prime minister, he said, “Why is it that inflation and unemployment are skyrocketing in India? Why have the rich become richer and the poor poorer? Why is public property being sold to Modi’s friends, even as economic disparities are increasing?”
Ramesh also asked why the agreements made with farmers while repealing the three “black” farm laws have not been honoured and the minimum support price not legally guaranteed. “Why didn’t farmers’ income double over the last nine years?”
Accusing the government of indulging in corruption and cronyism, Ramesh said why the prime minister is putting people’s hard-earned savings in LIC and SBI at risk to benefit his “friend” Adani.
“Why are you letting thieves escape? Why are you silent on rampant corruption in BJP-ruled states, and why are you letting Indians suffer,” he asked.
On the issue of national security, Ramesh said the Congress wants to ask “why is it that even after your clean chit to China in 2020, they continue to occupy Indian territory”.
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