Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Narendra Modi government had put India at risk by bringing China and Pakistan together as a “unified front”, and found itself isolated and surrounded by the neighbours even as there were fights raging within.
Participating as the first Opposition speaker in the Lok Sabha in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his Address to the joint session of Parliament, Mr. Gandhi said, “The judiciary, Election Commission and the Pegasus spyware are all instruments to destroy the voice of Union of States.” Referring to Pegasus he said, “When the Prime Minister personally goes to Israel and authorises the use of Pegasus in India, he is attacking the people of Tamil Nadu, he is attacking the people of Assam, he is attacking the people of Kerala, he is attacking the people of Bengal.”
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The comment prompted Law Minister Kiren Rijiju to demand an “unconditional apology” from the Congress leader for “abusing the constitutional authorities from the Parliament House”.
Mr. Gandhi started his speech of more than 44 minutes by attacking the policies of the government, and said the gap between the two Indias — a rich and a poor one — was growing.
Then he delved into what he called as two competing visions to rule India: one that viewed India as a Union of States, where States are equal partners and believe in decision-making through conversations and dialogue; and the other that believes that India can be ruled by a “Shahenshah, a ruler of rulers, a master of masters”.
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“We had smashed that idea of a king in 1947. Now the idea of a king has come back,” he said.
Stressing the importance of federalism, the Congress leader said the Centre cannot rule the States by suppressing the different cultures, languages and histories.
“My great grandfather was jailed for 15 years. My grandmother was shot 32 times. My father was blown to bits. So I know what I am talking about. You are fiddling with something very, very dangerous. I am advising you to stop. If you don't stop you will create a problem. The problem has already started,"Mr Gandhi said.
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Asserting that his views should not be taken as criticism but concerns expressed by a citizen, Mr. Gandhi said the Presidential Address did not touch upon strategic issues, did not reflect a vision of leadership and looked like a bureaucratic list.
Focussing on the growing hostilities with China, he said, “The single biggest strategic goal of India’s foreign policy has been to keep Pakistan and China separate. This is fundamental. What you have done is that you have brought them together. Don’t be under any illusion, don’t underestimate the force that is standing before you. And this is the single biggest crime that you have committed against the people of India.”
He said China’s plan against India had been put in Doklam and Ladakh and “this is a very serious threat to the Indian nation” as the Chinese and the Pakistani are planning, buying.
Mr. Gandhi said India made a “huge strategic mistake” in diplomacy and in Jammu and Kashmir and “we must make absolutely sure that we can defend ourselves against the Chinese”. “Remember, you will be responsible if anything happens. That is why we start this conversation as a nation,” Mr. Gandhi said, adding that the government should use the experience of the Congress in dealing with complex diplomatic issues.
“Ask yourself why you could not get a guest for the Republic Day function? The nation is at risk. The nation is at risk for outside and the nation is at risk from inside. And that is a very dangerous place for a nation to be in,” he noted.
Talking about the risks inside, the Congress leader spoke about the growing income disparity and poverty. He said while the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had pulled 27 crore people out of poverty, the Modi government had pushed 23 crore people back into poverty with its wrong policies such demonetisation and a flawed goods and services tax (GST). The Congress leader referred to the agitation by youth in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over Railway jobs and said that unemployment was at a 50-year high, with 3 crore youth losing their jobs in 2021 alone.
Mr. Gandhi said there has been a 46% drop in manufacturing jobs as the main job creators, the micro small and medium enterprises (MSMES) and the unorganised sectors, have been repeatedly attacked by wrong policies.
He said while 84% of the people saw a loss of income in the past few years, 100 people owned assets more than 55 crore people of the country and 10 people controlled about 40% of the resources.
Referring to the Adani and the Ambani groups, Mr. Gandhi said the government’s policies have created a double A variant that monopolises over ports, airports, power transmissions, mining, petrochemicals, telecom, e-commerce and retail businesses.
