■ Manipur: Modi silent.
■ China: Modi silent.
■ Farmers dying in protest: Modi silent.
■ Women wrestlers protest against sexual exploitation: Modi silent.
■ Adani corruption charges: Modi silent.
■ Former governor Satyapal Malik’s revelations on the Pulwama attack: Modi silent.
With these examples, the Congress on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance credentials while moving a no-confidence motion against his government, insisting that the power-hungry BJP advanced its political interests at the cost of truth, peace and social harmony.
Although the Prime Minister will have to reply to this debate in two days, he chose not to be present in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Initiating the debate, Gaurav Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, incisively targeted the Prime Minister’s attitude, unravelling Modi’s personality trait of remaining
silent on major national concerns while ceaselessly delivering sermons on everything under the sun and pointing out how he failed to provide leadership in the time of
crisis.
“Modi remains silent because he doesn’t want to accept his mistakes. Manipur is burning and he is busy defaming INDIA, the Opposition combine,” the Congress MP said.
Gogoi alleged: “Modi doesn’t want to accept that the double-engine failed in Manipur. He, the home minister (Amit Shah) and the national security adviser (Ajit Doval) failed. 5,000 weapons, including automatic rifles, six lakh bullets, mortars and grenades, have been looted. They will be used against our people, our army and police. Aren’t they playing with the nation’s security? And Modi hasn’t visited the state, doesn’t talk about it. What kind of nationalism is this?”
Confronting those who compared the Manipur crisis with other states, Gogoi said: “Have you seen this situation anywhere else? Over 160 people dead, 5,600 FIRs, 60,000 people in relief camps. A line has been drawn between the valley and the hills. They have created two Manipurs; such a division has never been seen in history. They talk of one India and delivered a divided Manipur. But for the viral video, Modi wouldn’t have spoken a word even now.”
Recalling how the drug menace had intensified under the BJP rule, the Congress leader said: “Chief minister N. Biren Singh blamed the drugs lobby for the violence. It is true the forests are being cut and poppy cultivation has significantly increased. But a decorated police officer revealed that a request to free the drug kingpin when he was arrested came from the chief minister’s office. The police officer returned the medal she got in protest. The chief of a terror outfit says the BJP took help from them in elections. What kind of nationalism is this?”
The BJP leaders avoided dwelling on Manipur and the first speaker from the party, Nishikant Dubey, referred to Robert Vadra and reminded INDIA allies how the Congress harmed them.
Gogoi, on the other hand, cited Manipur to build his argument on the Prime Minister’s unsuitability to rule a diverse country like India.
“Hate has become a political weapon, from Manipur to Madhya Pradesh, from Haryana to Karnataka. You talk of ‘sabka saath-sabka vikas’ but work only to ensure the progress of six business houses. Today these corporate houses control all businesses — 25 per cent of ports, 45 per cent of cement, 33 per cent of steel, 60 per cent of telecom and 45 per cent of coal. Is this sabka vikas?”
Manish Tewari, who made a brief but powerful intervention, said: “Any government is judged on five parameters — national security, economy, communal harmony, institutional autonomy and foreign policy. The Modi government has failed on all accounts. The Northeast is a sensitive place and Manipur shares an international border with Myanmar where the military junta has strong ties with China. Instability in Manipur will have an impact on the nation’s security."
Tewari focused on China, lamenting that the serious developments had not been discussed in Parliament since 2020. He said: “In 2020, China made intrusions at eight places. 37 months have passed. Has the government assessed what’s China’s political objective? The senior superintendent of police of Leh made a presentation at the DGP conference, suggesting that Indian forces were not able to patrol at 26 out of 65 points where we traditionally went, leading to loss of areas under our control.”
Tewari asked: “Does that mean we have lost 2,000sqkm area and the buffer zone too has been made in our territory?”
Pointing to the swelling trade deficit, he asked the government whether India was indirectly financing Chinese hostility towards India. He said the Opposition was forced to bring a no-confidence motion because the government had choked conversation on vital concerns.
NCP leader Supriya Sule condemned the attitude of the government, the hubris that it was going to rule forever and recalled its governance track record. “What they did in nine years is topple Opposition governments, push up prices of essential commodities, create unemployment, break institutions, damage federalism, economic slide, politics without principles…. They have pulled down nine Opposition governments.”
Pointing to the flaws in policies, she said: “Onions were rotting in Maharashtra but exports were not allowed even as there was a crisis in many countries. India is going down on the global health index, hunger index, human index, world happiness index, environment protection, gender equality, and democracy. Trains that stopped at local stations have been cancelled and Vande Bharat has created problems for the poor.
“In 2014, the central government’s debt was Rs 55.87 lakh crore, which is Rs 155.60 lakh crore in 2023. How are we going to pay? External debt has risen by 42 per cent. Cash in circulation has increased. What was demonetisation for? Bank NPAs (non-performing assets) worth 18.2 lakh crore were written off. 12 lakh high-worth individuals left this country. How will development happen?”
