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A combative Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday mounted a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of running a government "of some people, by one person for a select few" and said he has not much to showcase even as the government completes one year.
Addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Gandhi, who is also CPP chairperson took repeated digs at the Modi dispensation over issues like centralisation of power, lack of substantial growth on the economic front and acting with "obstinate arrogance" in Parliament and criticism of previous governments by the prime minister on foreign soil.
"What do they deserve credit for? They deserve credit for the most anti-farmer legislative amendments to our Land Acquisition Bill. They deserve credit for ignoring the severe plight of farmers throughout the country in a show of callous unconcern that has never been seen before," she said.
"They deserve credit for creating the most centralised government in India's recent history. Ministers hardly matter. Even the bureaucrats, who are supposedly empowered, feel paralysed because all key files are pending in the PMO for decision," she said.
Gandhi, who is seeking to move an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the issue of keeping vacant critical appointments in the government, wondered "what is this government afraid of?
She said those appointments in government structure, which have independent authority to question the working of the government machinery, were specially lying vacant.
"Friends, the challenge to us is very clear. We are faced with a government, which assaults everything precious that India and the Congress stands for...We must take the fight for and expose this government on its other sins of omission and commission."
Taking a jibe at Modi, she said the Prime Minister likes to talk of consensus.
"Yet ignoring convention, this government acts with obstinate arrogance. Such arrogance is also apparent when forcing its way in Parliament. Out of 51 bills, 43 have not been sent to the Standing Committee," she said.
The Congress President's remarks come at a time when there is a face off between the Government and the Opposition over referring the key GST bill to the Standing Committee.
Citing two examples, she said recently the government imposed AFSPA in Arunchal Pradesh "without even informing the chief minister" and they were earlier planning to go through the Bangladesh Land Agreement excluding Assam.
Gandhi charged that such centralisation of power was "not new to Modi”.
"Gujarat has just passed a controversial anti-terror law (the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill) that gives draconian powers to the police. The new law puts the state government, its ministers and officials essentially beyond the purview of the legal process. Is this what the BJP government hopes to replicate in New Delhi?
"Let us remember terrorism has been effectively fought without such draconian laws. My fear is that such laws will be used to suppress the voice of the people. We are already seeing evidence of this," she said.
She also targeted the prime minister for his remarks against the previous governments on foreign soil.
"The government and the prime minister remain in full campaign mode, as if the elections were not over. What is worse, for the first time, a Prime Minister of India has decided to play domestic politics on foreign soil. Just last month Modi attacked the UPA and his distinguished predecessor on a visit to France.
"In Canada he hit a new low by referring to the UPA in despicable terms. These outrageous remarks on foreign soil belittle the dignity of the office he holds and is an embarrassment to the nation," she said.
Going hammer and tongs against Modi on the issue, she said such "petty" behaviour does not define us.
In the backdrop of some recent controversies over appointments of people with RSS leanings in some key bodies, Gandhi charged, "Government bodies are being populated by men and women whose sole qualification appears to be loyalty to the Prime Minister or to his patron organisations."
"This government deserves credit for redefining democracy. 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."
"We can give the government credit for transforming our nation into a land where everyday we hear of places of worship of minorities being desecrated," she said.
The Congress president rued that the "stream of provocative statements" from members of the ruling establishment continue "unabated".
"Incendiary remarks are often uttered even by ministers against entire communities and institutions of our democracy. Some in the Sangh Parivar want to remove the voting rights of a community.
"Others want to erect statues of Godse, the man who murdered the Father of the Nation. Yes we can give them credit for making Indians feel unsafe in India and for poisoning the political discourse of our great country," Gandhi said in remarks laced with sarcasm.
Attacking the government on its "achche din" slogan, Gandhi asked, "Let me ask, what is the reality of the achche din, the Prime Minister promised? Lower petrol prices? We all know they are because of falling international prices, over which they have no control and for which they deserve no credit."
She charged that behind the "smokescreen" of development, the government is providing 'achche din' only for "crony capitalists".
"Truly the hypocrisy and insensitivity of this government is breathtaking. The prime minister announces grandiose schemes to grab the headlines while the Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) denies adequate funds to them and starves critical programmes that benefit the poor and the weaker sections.
"At the same time, he announces a generous bonanza for the corporate sector: tax cuts amounting to nearly Rs 2,50,000 crore in the next four years," she said.
While maintaining that corporate sector must grow and enterprise must flourish to create jobs and national wealth, she said, "But this government appears to favour a limited set of corporate interests to the exclusion of almost everyone and everything else. India's future cannot be built on such unjust foundations."
Attacking the government on the budget, Gandhi said, "And we can give them credit for presenting a budget that attacks the heart of the welfare programmes that have sustained the needy and the disadvantaged for years."
Charging that outlays for most such programmes have been slashed and in some cases by more than half, she said, "Efforts are also being made to undermine the entire system of foodgrain procurement.
"Special status for all North Eastern states, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir has been done away with. Many states -- even the BJP-ruled ones, have seen through the game and have protested," she said.
Gandhi said that as Modi government completes one year, it has very little to showcase and there is no substantial economic achievement.
"As per the Labour Bureau Survey report, released in April 2015, job creation has slowed down. As per the Press Information Bureau, eight core sectors of the economy have registered negative growth. Investment in manufacturing is falling and exports have declined," she said.
Gandhi charged that under the pretext of 'Make in India', the government is planning to "dilute" the rights and interests of workers and labourers and questioned "Do they make nothing in India?
In the four-page long speech, Gandhi repeatedly talked about "centralisation of power" in one hand to attack the prime minister.
"We can give this government credit for strengthening one man's power while weakening the strength of the State," she said.
Gandhi said the government deserves credit for "shattering" the nation's hopes for improved security for women.
"The Nirbhaya Fund has been scrapped. Instead of one Rape Crisis Centre in each of the country's 660 districts, there will be just 36 in total. The budget for the Women and Child Development Ministry has been cut to less than half. And all this by a Prime Minister, who launched 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'."
"The BJP has reduced budget allocation for modernizing central police force, that too in the backdrop of the increased deadly attacks on our jawans and paramilitary personnel in Chhattisgarh and other places," she said.
Stepping up the attack on government, she said, "They deserve credit for threatening the livelihood of millions of handloom weavers and artisans by their proposed repeal of the Handlooms Reservation Act, and thereby also endangering a treasured part of our cultural heritage."
At the outset, she congratulated party workers for making the party's April 19 rally on land issue a "resounding success" and expressed happiness that Rahul Gandhi and party workers have taken up the issue of land acquisition law forcefully and highlighted farmers' distress both in Parliament and outside.
"We have succeeded, I believe, in arousing the nation's conscience on the Modi government's indifference to the neglect and distress of farmers. We must take the fight further and expose this government on 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 programme and policies," she said.