New Delhi: The Congress retaliated hours after BJP president J P Nadda lashed out at the opposition parties, claiming that the saffron party and its government continue to feed people the “opium of communal polarisation” by “inciting violence and hatred” to divert their attention away from rising prices, unemployment, and a shattered sense of hope for the future.
“As India celebrates the 75th year of country’s Independence, your quest to seek revenge against our glorious history and hard-fought freedom by half-truths and post-truths can’t be the bedrock of a nation aspiring to lead in the 21st Century. The last eight years will be marked in India’s history for a vicious attack on the Constitution, its ethos and every institution built to safeguard our democracy,” Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said.
He said the “BJP and its government have been and are at war with its own people, be it the youth, the women, the poor, the Scheduled Tribes, the Scheduled Castes, backwards and the minorities”.
the Congress also questioned the government’s track record on several counts. Surjewala said the Indian economy is in a shambles under the Modi government. He said the income of 84 per cent Indians have declined, signaling growing inequality. “There is a 53 per cent drop in income for the 15-crore poorest households. And the NSO report suggests that the average income of the farmers is Rs 27 per day and the average debt per farmer is Rs 74,000,” he said.
“Data reflects a grim picture of unemployment crossing 8-10% consistently for three years now. Neither there are jobs nor is there hope for job creation. We stand at 101st in a list of 115 countries in the Global Hunger Index. We stand at 142nd out of 180 nations in the World Press Freedom index. We stand at 53rd position in EIU’s Democracy Index,” he said.
Surjewala also questioned Nadda whether if he does not have any remorse about “letting 23-crore Indians slip into poverty of which 4.7 crore Indians have slipped to extreme poverty” and argued “your government has undone all the good work of the Congress when we lifted nearly 27-crore people out of poverty”.
He thereafter, claimed that there was a rise in bank frauds, skyrocketing of India’s debt to Rs 139-lakh crore in FY2022, reckless privatisation and huge price rise.
while speaking about the rising unemployment, he said “there are over 8.7 lakh vacancies in the central government alone and over 30 lakh when combined with states. What explains over 1 lakh positions lying vacant in the army? Your government is turning India’s demographic dividend into a disaster. And it is these unemployed youth who are being drawn into violence and hate by the lunatic fringe elements”.
The Congress also accused the government of having compromised the national security. “Even today…Chinese continue to occupy important strategic places within our territory in Depsang Plains and Gogra Hot Springs,” Surjewala said.
Talking about the polarisation of politics, he said,” While parts of India are ravaged by riots and violence why is the Prime Minister so conspicuously silent? Why does he not denounce hatred no matter where it comes from? Why do perpetrators of hate get political patronage? Why are those who incite violence rewarded and, most of all, why are youth being incentivised to attack and abuse? Your attempts to perpetuate hate, stoke communal tension and divide are dangerous for our nation and our people.”
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