Keep your hate-filled New India, return our old India that lived on mutual love: Azad tells BJP

Tearing into the BJP-led, government, Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said that in the much-touted 'New India' of the Narendra Modi government, humans are afraid of humans, those glorifying killers of Mahatma Gandhi are in Parliament on ruling party ticket and that hatred and lynchings are ordre of the day.

He insisted that in 'old India', there was "no hatred, anger or lynching" while 'New India' is one where "humans are enemies of each other".

Speaking on the motion of thanks to the President's address in Rajya Sabha, Azad who is the Leader of the Opposition in the upper House, said unemployment is at all time high and henious crime like rape on minors are abnormally on the rise.

Launching a scathing attack on the government and its policies, Azad said a party could win elections on divisive policies but the "nation stood defeated".

He demanded: "Keep your New India to yourself but return our old India where there was a culture of love and...where there was no lynching and no hatred...Where Hindu and Muslims used to feel the pain of each other."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House during Azad's address.

Referring to the President's speech on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th anniversary celebrations, Azad said unfortunately a candidate of the ruling party called the killer of the Father of the Nation a patriot and no action was taken and the candidate was a parliamentarian now.

"My tongue will burn...I cannot repeat the remarks...I have a complaint to the Prime Minister, why didnt you take action. Mahatma Gandhi may be Congress President but he was Father of the Nation...I would not have mentioned it here but President's speech mentions his birth anniversary celebrations...BJP should take action...It still has time till October...," Azad said.

Azad while attackhing BJP for defending 2008 Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thankur, however did not mention her by name and said: "How is this possible and how someone can defend this? Though it doesn't make any difference to us, this is a blot on the face of the ruling party which cannot be wiped out."

He also referred to how former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on complaints about a Congress candidate in 1952 had instead urged people to vote for an Independent candidate who had a clean impage.

On New India, he said it was full of hatred where people were afraid of people and not afraid while being in Jungle.

"In old India, there was no hatred, anger or lynching. New India is one where humans are enemies of each other. You won't be scared of animals in a jungle but you'll be scared of humans here. Give us India where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians live for each other."

He added: "I request you to keep the 'New India' to yourself and give us our old India where there was a culture of love. Hindus used to feel the pain when Muslims and Dalits used to get hurt. When something used to get into the eyes of Hindus, Muslims and Dalits used to shed tears for them," he said.

About Jharkhand, he said it has become a lynching factory where Mulslims and Dalits were lynched and attacked routinely.

Reacting to a recent case of lynching in the state, he said, "Jharkhand has become a factory of lynching and violence. Dalits and Muslims are being killed there every week. PM Modi, we are with you in the fight of 'Sabka saath sabka vikas' but it should be there for people to see it. We can't see it anywhere."

He said rapes were at an all time high including henious crimes like rapes on minor and that "Beti Padhao and Beti Bachao" was just plain talks.

Azad said crime against women have risen manifold and urged government to ensure 50 per cent reservation to women in Parliament as it was having absolute majority.

He said Congress's attempts were thwarted last time though the Women's reservation Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha.

Unemployment, he said was at its peak with government trying to curb reports by various agencies and that the youth who voted for BJP needed justice.