NEW DELHI : A combative Sonia Gandhi today rejected government’s offer of Prime Minister’s intervention on Lalitgate and Vyapam issues in Parliament to break the impasse, insisting that those responsible for “gross wrong-doings” should first resign.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress President said he is conspicuous by his “deafening silence on the blatant transgressions” by his External Affairs Minister and two Chief Ministers.
“The champion of ‘mann ki baat’ appears to have retreated into a “maun vrat”, she said while lashing out at the Prime Minister and the BJP at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting here.
The Congress chief said that the party is very clear that there can be “no productive discussion and no meaningful proceedings as long as those responsible for gross wrong-doings remain in office”.
“Our stand is straightforward and clear from day one. There is a mountain of incontrovertible evidence in public domain for the Prime Minister to require the resignations of the External Affairs Minister and the two chief ministers,” she said ahead of an all-party meeting convened by the government to resolve the two-week long deadlock.
Making a strong pitch for “resign first, debate later” line, she wondered whether the BJP has forgotten that it is the “author of the principle which it has used on at least five different occasions since 1993”.
She preceded the remark by saying that since memories are short, the party needed to remind its political adversaries who “conveniently are suffering from selective amnesia”.
“Today, we have to listen to sermons on parliamentary behaviour from those who not only defended but also advocated disruption as a legitimate tactic when they were in the opposition.
“Yesterday’s agitators in both the Houses have suddenly become today’s champions of debate and discussion,” she said
Sonia, who is also Chairperson of the CPP, declared that the Congress will “persist” making its points “forcefully and emphatically” both in Parliament and outside.
Just two more weeks are left for the monsoon session to conclude. Seeking to end the impasse, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venlaiah Naidu had said the Prime Minister will be prepared to make an intervention during a debate on the Lalit Modi and Vyapam issues.
Sonia today alleged that the impasse was due to the “gross insensitivity of the Modi government to public opinion, for its absolute silence on acts of monumental corruption, its wilful violations of the law and gross misdemeanours on the part of its leading lights”.
Countering the government allegations against Congress over disrupting Parliament, Sonia said, “Let me say that we are not being aggressive just to match the BJP’s aggression of the past.
“We have been forced to take our position because of the government’s completely brazen attitude. Of course, we want both the Houses to function. Of course, we want legislations to be debated and adopted.”
Besides, she said that for too long, this government has used its numerical strength as a “source of arrogance” rather than responsibility.
She said “first, Parliament is by-passed and a spate of ordinances are issued and some re-issued as well. Bills don’t get referred to Standing Committees.
“And now this numerical strength is being used to substitute investigation by mere discussion. This is unacceptable to us and we will do all that is necessary to hold this government accountable,” she said.
Insisting that Parliamentary majority does not give anyone a license to escape accountability, she said, “It is our constitutional right and duty to raise our voice against the acts of omission and commission of the government.”
Taking a dig at the PM, she said he has been “very free” while making promises, yet he seems “totally incapable of delivering on them.”
“On the one hand, he never misses an opportunity to claim the moral high ground on transparency, integrity and accountability. On the other he has been conspicuous by his deafening silence on the blatant transgressions by his External Affairs Minister and two of his chief ministers,” she said.
The Congress President said that the Modi government which has completed its first year in office, stands “completely exposed”.
“Of course, the Prime Minister has turned out to be a master re-packager, a skillful salesman, a sharp headline grabber and a clever news manager,” she said, adding that not a day passes without some UPA programme being given a new name or a new spin.
Taking a jibe at Modi, she said the Congress cannot deny the Prime Minister this prerogative.
“But what is positively deplorable is the shocking cuts in the budgetary allocations for these social sector schemes. That, and not the hijacking of our yojanas and initiatives, is what is most destructive,” she said.
Clearly indicating that there will be no let up in the Congress campaign in Parliament, the party chief said, “We have been in office for long periods and we understand the imperatives of governance. We are fully aware of our responsibility to support programmes and legislations that are in national interest.”
Asserting that the “take it or leave it” approach of this government and its “supreme leader” goes against all democratic norms, she said, “Grandstanding and arrogant and hypocritical lectures will not work. It is the fundamental responsibility of the government to foster an atmosphere conducive for cooperation.”
She claimed that the HRD Ministry has been “mortgaged to a certain ideology” which should be of concern to the entire country, particularly the youth “whose future is being endangered by communalism and mediocrity in learning and culture”.
There is a systematic erosion of the autonomy and competence of institutions of higher education that have been built up so carefully over the decades, Sonia alleged.
Attacking the government over cuts in social sector schemes, she wondered whether this was the Modi model of benefiting the few at the expense of many, leaving the vulnerable to fend for themselves.
She also targeted him for keeping “under wraps” a survey on child health carried out by UNICEF which, according to her, showed Gujarat in poor light on various child nutrition and health indicators.
She also assailed the government for abolishing special category status for states including those in the Northeastern region.
She also accused the Modi government of having “crippled” rural India by its anti-farmer policies.
“Farmers are up in arms against the amendments to the 2013 land acquisition law. While the government fails to increase MSP in the manner the UPA used to, the doors are now open to large-scale imports of wheat. Does ‘Make in India’ not apply to our farmers?
“And to make matters worse, the Agriculture Minister rubs salt into their wounds by giving an outrageous answer to a question on farmer suicides. Rubber cultivators are facing great distress as are coconut, coffee and tea growers. Yet, the government is unmoved and top posts in some of these Boards have been vacant for many months,” she said.
The Congress chief also faulted government for “coming down heavily” on civil society organisations and social action groups.
“This government has been quick to silence and muzzle any activism, any grassroots movement for mobilisation. Thousands of NGOs are under threat by the draconian actions of the government. And there is clearly a strong element of vengeance in these actions against some NGOs who have been exposing the dark deeds of those in power,” she alleged. (AGENCIES)
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