4 years of Modi: Congress calls Modi and Shah “injurious to the nation”

Observing the fourth anniversary of the Modi government as a “day of betrayal”, the Congress party launched a blistering multimedia attack on the Modi government on Saturday. Supported by a documentary and booklet comprising 40 questions directed at the Modi government, Congress termed Modi-Shah combine as very-very “injurious to the nation.”

Addressing a houseful presser at the Congress headquarters, head of the media cell, Randeep Surjewala, said the Modi government has spent a whooping ₹4,600 crore on its promotion over the last four years as the nation suffered due to their misrule.

“The BJP should be renamed as the Betrayal Jumla Party,” quipped Surjewala sarcastically, and added that the three words – Prachar (promotion), Prapanch (drama), Pratisodh (revenge) – define the Modi government.

Seemingly inspired by the Aamir Khan-starrer film Dangal’s song - Bapu Sehat ke liye tu to hanikarak hai - Surjewala said that na kewal BJP ki neetiyan balki Modi-Amit Shah ki Jodi hi desh ke liye khatarnak hai (Not only policies of the BJP government but, Modi-Amit Shah combine itself is injurious to the nation).

Taking a jibe at Modi’s informal foreign visits, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, asked, “Does Prime Minister of India has so much free time that he travels abroad without agenda?” He added that the Modi government had altered the foreign policy laid down by the first PM Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Blaming Modi of degrading the the office of the Prime Minister as never before, Azad said the Modi government has failed miserably on every front. Criticising the performance of the Modi government on crucial issues such as internal security, law and order and freedom of press, the former Union health minister said, “Highest number of army men, civilians, people living along international border have been killed in Kashmir in last four years.”

“He got the maximum number of votes in the name of national security, but national security is under threat. National security does not only mean safeguarding territorial boundaries but also maintaining peace and harmony in the mainland,” said Azad.

In reference to the death threats received by NDTV anchor Ravish Kumar, Azad said under the Modi government nobody feels safe – be it a common man or the media person.

“Everybody has sleepless nights...I used to receive death threats from terrorists but lately, journalists receive death threats from people associated with the ruling party,” pointed out Azad, while emphasising that the idea of freedom of expression and freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution was not safe under the Modi government.

Congress National general secretary Ashok Gehlot attacked Modi for spreading lies about the first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru, and the Gandhi family. Terming it a battle between two ideologies, the former Chief Minister of Rajasthan said that under Modi regime, the downtrodden, weaker section of the society and poor suffered the most.

“Nobody from the Gandhi family has held any position in the last 28 years,” said Gehlot.

Highlighting farmers’ distress, the Congress veteran said neither MSP has been revised nor the dues of the sugarcane growers in Uttar Pradesh have been paid by the BJP government.

Talking about the state of women under the current dispensation, head of the Congress women cell Sushmita Dev said the Modi government talks a lot about “Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao” but in reality, it does not release enough funds for the girl-education.

Highlighting BJP and RSS’ agenda to use religion to achieve political goals, the president of the Indian Youth Congress Keshav Yadav said he would work towards foiling the Hindutva propaganda of BJP-RSS combine in the next general election.