Centre’s philosophy is bluff, bluster & intimidation: Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi: Praising Congress president Rahul Gandhi for taking political opponents head-on, his mother and predecessor Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre claiming that “bluff, bluster and intimidation” have been the Modi government’s philosophy.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party mee-ting on the last day of the 16th Lok Sabha, Mrs Gan-dhi said that victories in MP, Rajasthan and Chhatt-isgarh had enthused the party workers and given them confidence. “We go to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with renewed confidence and resolve. Our victories in Rajast-han, Chhattisgarh and MP have given us new hope,” she said.

She also praised the Con-gress chief for bringing in fresh energy and putting together a team which blends youth and experience. Launching a scat-hing attack on the Centre, Mrs Gandhi said that there is an “all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and strife” across the country.

The foundations of “our democratic and secular republic” have come und-er “systematic assault” by the government, she clai-med adding that the very values, principles and provisions of the Consti-tution have been under continued attack from the Modi government.

“Institutions have been subverted. Political opponents have been hounded...” Asserting that the last five years have been a time of  economic stress and so-cial strain for the country, she said the Northeast wa-s burning, aienation in Jammu and Kashmir has scaled new heights, dalits, adivasis an-d minorities were being t-argeted and farmers were facing unprecedented distress.

Later the Congress president in a Facebook post, said that the Congress Parliamentary Party met at Parliament House wh-ere Mrs Gandhi said the people of the country we-re wise and know that “ju-mlabaazi” (rhetoric) is no substitute for sensitive an-d responsive governance.