Asking questions is our duty, we will not stop: Jairam Ramesh to Centre

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh addressed the media on Saturday, stating that the Modi government is trying to suppress the truth but that the Congress Party will not be deterred

In a press conference on Saturday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the Opposition will continue to ask questions from the government and that the Congress Party will not be deterred. 

He accused the government of trying to suppress the truth. "Asking questions is our duty, we will not stop, no matter how long the PM remains mute & whatever threats come our way. BJP's principle is 'minimum governance, maximum silence'. They must either take action on Satyapal Malik or respond to his allegations", Ramesh said while talking to media.

Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik's recent interview with the The Wire has created a political storm. In the interview, Malik accused the Modi government of negligence in the Pulwama attack and claimed that the Prime Minister himself had asked him to keep quiet about it. Malik claimed that the CRPF had requested five aircraft to carry its convoy, but the Ministry of Home Affairs rejected the demand. Malik informed the Prime Minister of this, but he was instructed to keep quiet. If the CRPF personnel had been provided with the aircraft, the attack could have been prevented. The Modi government has denied the allegations but the Congress Party has vowed to pursue the matter and bring the truth to light.

During the press conference, Congress leaders Pawan Kheda and Supriya Shrinate also expressed concerns over the safety of Satya Pal Malik. Kheda questioned why Malik was living in a rented house with only one PSO while individuals such as TV anchors and sycophantic film directors and actors were granted higher levels of security.

Supriya Shrinate condemned the Modi government for leaving Malik in danger and pointed out that he was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir at the time of the Pulwama attack. Malik had allegedly informed the Prime Minister that the soldiers' martyrdom was due to the government's failure, to which the PM had instructed him to keep quiet.