Gaurav Gogoi calls NDA white paper PM Modi's diversionary tactic

Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of being a “maharaja” who has turned Parliament, intended as a “temple of democracy”, into a “king’s court”.

The Congress leader, during his 25-minute speech in the Lok Sabha on 10 February, was interrupted several times by speaker Om Birla, as he accused the BJP government of “event management” and “attention management”.

In response to the government's 'white paper' on the Indian economy—a large portion of which ended up focusing on criticism of prior regimes— Gogoi criticised it as a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's own unfulfilled pledges.

Gogoi also critiqued the current functioning of Parliament in what is expected to be this Lok Sabha's final session ahead of the 2024 general elections.

“When the prime minister comes to the House, he is greeted with slogans. The responsibility with which we come to Parliament has been forgotten. And the maharaja also comes and leaves without taking a single question from any department of government,” Gogoi was quoted as saying by the Wire.

Gogoi said: "The white paper is nothing but an attempt to divert the attention of the public from PM Modi's failed promises."

The Congress leader emphasised that pressing concerns such as inflation and unemployment would take precedence in the minds of voters during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“When farmers die by suicide, youth say they are unemployed, women say that there is inflation, when 10 per cent of the population is controlling 50 per cent of the country’s wealth, they claim to be the fastest-growing economy," Gogoi was quoted as saying by the Wire.

“The maharaja is sitting on such a high singhasan [throne] that he cannot see this,” he said.

Gogoi's full speech was shared on his YouTube channel.