Modi government has lost moral right to continue: Congress

Launching a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government over its alleged mishandling of Jammu and Kashmir and relations with Pakistan, the Congress on Friday said the government has lost its right to continue in the office.

"Pakistan policy is an oxymoron because there is no Pakistan policy. What we have is momentary, knee-jerk, transient responses which depend on the mood of the moment," Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here after the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday confirmed a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meet.

He questioned the Modi government's decision asking how could talks happen when outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba were still operating out of Pakistan soil and posing grave threat to not just the peace of subcontinent but the entire globe.

"Recently, for the first time in the last 70 years, Russia and Pakistan have conducted a joint military exercise. Russia is also selling MI-35 helicopters to Pakistan under a defence cooperation pact," Singhvi said.

Singhvi also questioned the government's "silence" on the Kashmir situation where several Special Police Officers (SPOs) and cops have resigned -- although the J&K Police has denied any such resignations -- in the last 24 hours in the midst of threats from militants.

"We have absolute silence or empty, hollow words. What is the Prime Minister and the ruling party doing about the crown of the country, the nation wants to know. What is happening under its nose is terrible," Singhvi said.

"In less than 24 hours, we have three more policemen abducted and 10 policemen resigning. If this doesn't shake the government, what will? And we have hollow explanation from the Home Ministry saying the resignation is not out of fear. The Home Ministry wants to believe that police men are joyously resigning," Singhvi said.

"They have put a thermometer to find out there is no fear. What kind of hypocrisy is this? This government has no moral right to continue in the office," he said.

--IANS

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