People now know PM Modi-Amit Shah duo harmful' for India: Congress

New Delhi: Launching an all-out attack on the Narendra Modi-led government on its fourth anniversary, the Congress on Saturday alleged that people now know that the Modi-Amit Shah duo is "harmful" for the country and described the four years of BJP rule as one of "treachery, trickery, revenge and lies".

While the Congress described BJP as "Betrayal Janata Party" for failing to deliver on its promises, the party president Rahul Gandhi led the attack by mocking the NDA government's performance and calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "master communicator" who struggled with complex issues and had a short attention span.

Taking to Twitter, he gave grades to the BJP-led NDA government in a mock report card of the prime minister. While he gave 'F' to the Modi government for agriculture, foreign policy and job creation, he gave 'A+' to the prime minister for 'slogan creation and self-promotion'. "4 year Report Card. Agriculture: F, Foreign Policy: F, Fuel Prices: F, Job Creation: F, Slogan Creation: A+, Self Promotion: A+, Yoga: B-. Remarks: Master communicator; struggles with complex issues; short attention span," Gandhi said on Twitter.

Read: Rahul releases report card for Modi govt; grades F for work, A+ for self promotion

Separately at a joint press conference, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot and Randeep Surjewala released a booklet titled 'India Betrayed' on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Modi government, in which it posed 40 questions and alleged that an atmosphere of fear and hatred has been created under the NDA rule.

The Congress observed "Betrayal Day" to mark four years of the Modi government by organising protests in all district headquarters across India. The party also released a short-film on the prevailing atmosphere in the country.

"People now know that the Modi-Amit Shah duo is harmful for the country. The four years of the Modi government can be defined in four terms -- treachery, trickery, revenge and lies," AICC communications in-charge Surjewala said.

Referring to alleged atrocities on Dalits, tribals, minorities and women, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, "Under Modi's Government, nobody is safe. Everybody is having sleepless nights including all of you. Whatever you think, you cannot express. Whatever you want to write, you cannot write." Highlighting the importance of national security, Azad said Modi exploited this "to the hilt" as this was one of the major points which he tried to score during election campaign and got maximum votes on it.

"But, national security does not mean only territorial integrity of the country. National security means whether we have peace and harmony in the country, but that is least at the moment. National security also means whether downtrodden, minorities, SCs, poor people and have-nots are secure, but they are not. Whether there is freedom of speech, freedom of expression, that is not whether the media is safe, but they are not safe," Azad told reporters.

AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot said an "atmosphere of fear, hatred and violence has been created in the last four years of the Modi government". He also said that every section of society was unhappy with this government and were feeling betrayed due to non-fulfilment of promises made to them.

"There has never been such betrayal with the people. One has never had such a prime minister in the history of the country, who has lowered the dignity of the office he holds. He speaks lies all the time and misleads people," he alleged.

"Modi ji would have been successful if the country could be run on jumlas and speeches. There is a huge difference between PM Modi's words and action," Surjewala alleged, asking "How much will the BJP lie? The people are fed up of hearing so much lies".

He also said while the prime minister is in perpetual campaign mode but refuses to understand peoples' pain, he accumulated publicity but India only accumulated pain and the BJP should now be renamed "Betrayal Janata Party". Surjewala alleged PM Modi is in perpetual campaign mode but refuses to understand peoples' pain.

Azad said the prime minister exploited Kashmir the most during elections, but the state has suffered maximum deaths of soldiers and civilians under the Modi government post-1996.

"Highest numbers of international ceasefire violations have taken place. Forget the three wars we had with Pakistan – never before there were so many attacks by militants on our army camps or sensitive places in the country," he said. Azad said journalists have received death warrants from militants a number of times in the past but not from associates of the BJP who are supposed to protect them.

Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev said women no longer feel safe under the Modi dispensation and asked why the BJP was depriving the girl child from entering Parliament as it was not passing the 'Women Reservation Bill' despite full support extended by the Congress.

Youth Congress chief Keshav Yadav said the youth did not have anywhere to look as their future was in the dark due to the lack of opportunities and jobs. The 40 questions posed by the Congress included -- When will Indians get Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts? Why is the PM silent on bank loot? Did the Rafale deal cost India extra? Why is the BJP denying farmers a loan waiver? Why is the BJP helping farm insurance firms?; Where are two crore jobs per year the PM promised? Why PM sheltered the exam mafia?