Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Narendra Modi government of doing little for the millions who lost their livelihoods and the small businesses crippled by Covid, demonetisation and flawed GST, arguing that a booming stock market doesn’t mean economic recovery.

Addressing the Congress MPs, Sonia said: “For quite some time, spokespersons of the government have been proclaiming that the economy is on its way to a speedy recovery. But recovery for whom is the real question. It means nothing to those millions who have lost their livelihoods, and to those micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that have been crippled — not just by the Covid-19 pandemic but also by the combined effects of notebandi (demonetisation) and the hasty implementation of a flawed GST.”

She explained: “A few big companies making profits or the stock market rising to new heights does not mean that the economy is recovering. And if profits are being made by shedding labour, what social value do these profits have? Yes, the economy had lost its momentum well before Covid-19 struck. Yes, the pandemic accelerated this loss. But thanks to the government’s half-hearted and ill-advised responses, the situation has become even more serious.”

Rejecting the recent reduction in prices of petrol and diesel as insufficient, she said: “Since this (Parliament) session commenced, we have also been raising the issue of spiralling prices of all essential commodities of daily consumption. I cannot understand how and why the Modi government is so insensitive and continues to deny the seriousness of the problem. It seems impervious to the suffering of the people.”

Objecting to the onus being shifted to cash-strapped states for reduction in VAT on petroleum products, she said: “And all this while, the Centre persists with huge public expenditure on vain glorious projects!”

The Congress president added: “The prices of edible oils, pulses and vegetables are burning a hole in the monthly budget of every household. The rising prices of cement, steel and other basic industrial commodities also do not bode well for economic recovery.”

She also raised issues like undemocratic handling of farm laws by the Modi government, illegal suspension of Opposition MPs from the Rajya Sabha and Chinese intrusion.
Sonia said: “It is extraordinary that Parliament has been given no opportunity whatsoever so far to have a discussion on the challenges we continue to face on our borders.

Such a discussion would have also been an opportunity to demonstrate a collective will and resolve. The government may not want to answer difficult questions but it is the right and duty of the opposition to seek clarifications and explanations.”

The Congress which continued the protests against suspension of opposition MPs said the government forced such a stalemate in Parliament to escape accountability on scores of burning issues. Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said: “We have conveyed to the chairman Venkaiah Naidu that the MPs have been illegally punished without any fault. The government deliberately shuts down Parliament to prevent debate on Pegasus, price rise, unemployment, farmers and Nagaland.”

Deputy leader Anand Sharma said: “The government has fettered democracy by muzzling the opposition. It never happened in parliamentary history when members were suspended in the next session for something that happened in the previous session. The government is trying to defame the opposition while the disturbances in the Houses were forced by their own undemocratic acts. The government wants to use Parliament only for its own legislative business.”

The Congress also objected to its delegation to Nagaland being stopped at Jorhat airport. Randeep Surjewala tweeted, “The illegal detention of Congress delegation compromising of Jitendra Singh, Gaurav Gogoi and Ajoy Kumar reflects the fascist mindset of Modi government.”