New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, saying that it has not just weakened India internationally by isolating it, but also internally by using the judiciary, Election Commission and Pegasus to "destroy the voice of the Union of states".
In a fiery speech in Lok Sabha, Mr Gandhi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the "idea of a king is back,” which the Congress had smashed in 1947.
India, he said, is facing the biggest unemployment crisis in 50 years with 3 crore people losing jobs in 2021, but instead of focusing on that, institutions are being captured and states are not being allowed to speak.
"UPA government pulled 27 crore out of poverty and you have pushed 23 crore people back into poverty," Mr Gandhi said and accused the government of creating monopolies in the formal sector
“Today 10 richest people in India control wealth equivalent to 40 per cent of Indians,” he said.
The nation, he said, is at risk as it is completely isolated from outside and fighting inside, "And that is a very dangerous place for a nation to be," said Mr Gandhi.
“You have brought Pakistan and China together. This is the single biggest crime that you could commit against the people of India,” he added.
Mr Gandhi said that the strategic goal of India’s foreign policy was to keep Pakistan and China separate. "What you have done is that you have brought them together. Don’t be under any illusion or underestimate the force that is standing in front of you. China has a plan," he said.
"I am clearly stating in the house of Parliament that we have made a massive blunder and we need to make absolutely sure that we can defend ourselves against the Chinese. Because the Chinese will act,'' he said.
"We are surrounded by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China. Everywhere we are surrounded. We have been weakened. India is weaker than what it was 10 years ago," Mr Gandhi said, and added, "Ask yourself why you were not able to get a guest on Republic Day?”
Tearing into the government over unemployment, Mr Gandhi said because of "your flawed vision two Indias are being created.” One India of the rich and the other of the poor. "The gap between the two is growing," he said.
"You keep talking about Make in India, New India, Start-Up India… but joblessness is only increasing.. Make in India is not possible anymore. You have destroyed 'Made in India’… Our youth are not getting jobs and the jobs that were available have been lost because small industries which could have contributed to it have been destroyed,” Mr Gandhi said and added that in the last five years, manufacturing jobs have decreased by 46 per cent.
“You need to support small and medium industries, otherwise 'Make in India' is not possible. Small and medium industries are the only ones who can create jobs,” he said.
Mr Gandhi, who was the first leader from the Opposition to reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session on Monday, began by saying that the President’s address didn’t mention the challenges that the country faces, but listed the claims of the Modi government.
Mr Gandhi said the income of 84 per cent of the people has declined and they are moving towards poverty.
"There are two visions — one is Union of states, union of languages, union of culture and a beautiful bouquet of flowers that can challenge any power in the world. Now there is another vision, a centralising vision, the vision of a king — the idea of a king," said Mr Gandhi and added that India cannot be ruled by a stick from the Centre. "You people have no idea of history because every time this has been attempted, the stick has been broken and smashed," said Mr Gandhi.
The debate on the Presidential address was initiated by BJP MP from Basti (UP) Harish Dwivedi who mainly highlighted the achievements of Mr Modi and Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh. The state is going to Assembly elections this month. Mr Dwivedi said due to the Modi government’s initiative, a grand Ram temple is being built at Ayodhya.
He slammed SP leader Akhilesh Yadav for allegedly comparing Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah with Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and other renowned freedom fighters and said that the governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh have been working for the all round development of poor and marginalised sections of the society. He said that 4.5 lakh youths were given jobs in Uttar Pradesh in the last five years and Rs 36,000 crore worth loans of the farmers were waived.
