Congress slams Modi government's performance, to launch nation-wide stir

Charging the Narendra Modi government with "broken promises and non performance" in its three years in office, the Congress on Tuesday said it will launch a nation-wide stir along with like-minded forces in the next two years to push the BJP out of power.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi spear-headed the party's attack, which came days before the BJP-led government's third anniversary in power.

"3 years of broken promises, non performance & betrayal of a mandate. Youth are struggling to find jobs, farmers are committing suicide & soldiers are dying at the border. What exactly is the Govt celebrating?" Gandhi said in a series of tweets.

At a press conference, the party fielded some of its young leaders including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot, R.P.N Singh, Sushmita Dev to highlight "failures" of the government in areas including security, agriculture and employment creation. Also present at the presser was Kannada actor Ramya, who heads the party's social media campaign.

The party unveiled a video "Teen saal, Tees tigram (three years, 30 tricks)" showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's differing stances on issues such as the Aadhar card and Goods and Services Tax, while attacking the government' claims on its pet schemes such as Make in India, Digital India and Skill India.

It also said that export of buffalo meat had gone up under the Modi government despite his taunts about the "Pink Revolution".

With the party having suffered a string of electoral defeats after its last Lok Sabha polls, Surjewala said they had learnt from their mistakes and were ready to present an alternative viewpoint "which is anti-thesis to one man rule and autocracy of an individual".

He said the party will strive for a massive nation-wide agitation and the party will join hands with forces who have suffered at the hands of BJP-led government.

"We will build a nationwide people's movement in 24 months by reaching out to every individual," he said.

Scindia said intolerance has grown across the country and accused the government of anti-Dalit mindset.

"They want Dalit-mukt Bharat and Adivasi-mukt Bharat," he said.

Pilot, who heads the Rajasthan Congress, said the BJP government wanted to distract attention essential issues by raising emotive issues.

"Any discussion on issues such as unemployment, agriculture inflation is sought to be suppressed through diversions," he said.

He said the BJP was only an election fighting machine now but noted that Congress had to go to people with a better blueprint of governance.

"I do not think we will come to power by just criticising the government. We will prepare blueprint to give better governance. We will go to public with transparency. The BJP has withered away from its ideology," he said.

Former minister R.P.N. Singh said that the attacks on security forces had increased after the Modi government came into power.

The Congress leaders said that party will strive hard to come to power in states going to polls before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The Modi government will complete three years in office on May 25.

--IANS

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