Headlines
Sonia terms Modi government anti-farmer, arrogant
New Delhi, May 6
Terming the government as
"anti-farmer" and "arrogant", Congress president Sonia Gandhi on
Wednesday accused it of bringing "achche din (good days) only for crony
capitalists" and promised to take the party's fight to the people.
Addressing
a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting here, Sonia Gandhi launched a
blistering attack on the Modi government and said it had very little to
showcase after one year in office.
She said Modi and his government remain in poll campaign mode as if the elections were not over.
Accusing
Modi of playing domestic politics on foreign soil, Gandhi alleged that
the prime minister attacked the previous Congress-led United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government during his visit to France.
"In
Canada, he sank to a new low by referring to the UPA in despicable
terms. This outrageous remark on foreign soil belittles the dignity of
the office he holds and is an embarrassment to the nation," she said.
Asking
the government about the reality of its promised "achche din", Gandhi
said the ruling dispensation deserved credit for the "most anti-farmer
legislative amendments to our land acquisition bill".
"They
deserve credit for creating the most centralised government in India's
recent history. Ministers hardly matter. Even bureaucrats feel paralysed
because all key decisions are pending in the PMO for decision," she
said.
Gandhi said that Modi talks of consensus but ignoring convention, the government acts with "obstinate arrogance".
Stating
that the government deserves credit for redefining democracy, she said:
"It is no longer 'of the people, by the people, for the people', but a
government of some people, by one person, for a select few."
Gandhi
said her party has succeeded in arousing the nation's conscience about
the Modi government's "indifference to the neglect and distress" of
farmers and must take the fight further and expose the government on its
other sins of "commission and omission".
"I count on all of you
to take this fight to the people. And, through their support and
strength prevent the government from pursuing its anti-people programmes
and policies," she said.