Listing out the ‘broken promises’ made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress party on Tuesday came out with sharp criticism and said he had only ‘peddled lies’ through his ‘staged interview’.
Addressing media persons at AICC headquarters hours after television channels aired Modi’s interview, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said India wanted to know the progress of 10 top promises by the Prime Minister.
“Mr Modi’s lies has destroyed India’s societal fabric, and economy; trembling upon constitutional institutions, and the rights of individuals, snatching livelihood and shutting down business, we expected that in 2019 you will express regrets for the blunders of the policy that you have committed, but you have only peddled lies, and its indeed unfortunate”, Mr Surjewala said.
Reminding the Prime Minister about the promises to create jobs, the Congress spokesperson said, “It would have been nine crore jobs in 55 months, but could you create even nine lakh jobs for India’s young?”
Taking on the Prime Minister’s statement that the priority of his government is the welfare of farmers, Surjewala said, “You promised cost plus 50 per cent profit to India’s farmers, but today they are forced to sell their onion crops at 50 paise per kilo. Farmer distress and farmer suicides rule the roost”.
He also took up the black money issue and reminded that the Prime Minister had promised to bring back Rs.80 lakh crore black money stashed offshore and asked, “Did it come, did India get benefit of that. The truth is that not a single rupee could be brought back.”
On demonetisation, the Congress spokesperson said, “The nation wants to know the demonetisation disaster, the scam and the people responsible for it. Rs.3.5 lakh crore were lost due to the demonetisation disaster and 120 people died in bank lines. People lost all their earnings. Women of India lost their entire ‘istri dhan’. Yet you continue to justify the demonetisation scam and disaster,”
Pointing out the national security issue, Surjewala said, “It has been deeply imperilled”.
“In 55 months, 428 jawans were martyred in Jammu and Kashmir alone as 278 civilians were lost to terrorism. Naxalism cost us lives of 248 jawans and 378 civilians,” he added.
Countering Prime Minister’s attack on Congress party over controversial Rafale deal, Surjewala said the Prime Minister again resorted to lies blatantly on the issue.
“He said there is no charge against him personally on Rafale. But the truth is that (there are) only charge against him personally. Former French President Francois Hollande publicly said that the condition was put on the French government that the Rs.30,000 crore contract was to be taken away from government company HAL and handed over the private company, Reliance by Anil Ambani as a precondition to purchase of 36 aircraft.”
Taking on Modi over the Ayodhya issue, the Congress leaders said the Prime Minister was trying to please someone and asserted that there is no need for an ordinance after the Supreme Court verdict.
Surjewala said the ‘defeatist Prime Minister’ is not able to tell where he is going to contest the next Parliamentary poll.
Another Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma also criticised the Prime Minister and said the people of the country cannot be ‘fooled’ through a ‘fixed interview’ and asked him to face Parliament and a press conference. “Have the courage to face us in Parliament or address a press conference. Having betrayed the people, do not beg Lord Ram to save you. He did not ask you to lie in the first place,” Sharma tweeted. (UNI)
