Congress today used Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's remark that his department has "no concrete power" to check food inflation to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of price spiral.
"If a senior leader like Paswan is saying that he has no concrete power means.....The responsibility lay squarely on the Prime Minister if one understands Modi's style of functioning", party spokesman Meem Afzal told reporters.
Prices of pulses, onion, tomato and peas have risen sharply in recent months, hurting household budgets and prompting Paswan to remark that "Consumer Affairs Department does not have any concrete power to check food inflation."
His Department monitors the prices of 22 essential food items and it can ask states to impose stockholding limits and issue directions to carry out dehoarding operations.
Taking a dig at the Prime Minister for his frequent foreign tours, Afzal said that he should do so but at the same time ensure that the problems faced by the common man at home are solved.
He suggested that Paswan's remarks were reflective of the problems within NDA in the backdrop of the victory of Grand Alliance headed by Nitish Kumar in Bihar assembly poll.
Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister who had campaigned hard in Bihar, he said that since Modi cannot hold public meetings inside the country, he does so on foreign soil including in England.
(REOPENS DEL48)
Sharma alleged that the Prime Minister's speech yesterday was an indication of the imminent defeat of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
He said the Congress has asked the Prime Minister to give an account of the works done by his government.
He alleged that Modi and his government have "betrayed" the people of India.
"Why he has not honoured the promises which he made to our youths and to the farmers. This government has inflicted untold and unflinching sufferings on the people post his reckless decision of demonetisation on November 8 rendering tens of millions jobless. The worst hit have been farmers and the poor," he said.
Sharma also alleged that it was clear that BJP was staring at a big defeat and "flustered and frustrated, Modi ji has lost all sense of balance in his speeches".
(Reopens DES 27)
Sharma said people would react to what the PM says and thus he should not "provoke" people. It is unacceptable and unbecoming of the PM of the Republic of India, he said.
To a question on use of offensive language, Sharma said the Congress has not said anything which has assaulted the dignity of the office of the PM.
"We have strong differences with the person who occupies the office of the Prime Minister i.E. Narendra Modi, but at the same time we have kept the decorum and dignity of the political discourse," he said.
To a question on imposition of President's Rule in Kerala in the wake of the rape of an actress, he said, "Then President's rule should have been imposed multiple times, many years ago in the state of Gujarat also for the atrocities against women, for the atrocities against Dalits, literally lynching of people."
"What disgrace to women safety is being done under the very nose of the Home Minister and Government in Delhi? It is a larger question. It is a shocking and condemnable thing.
"The Union government and the state government have to ensure that the dignity of the women is upheld and their safety is ensured. Stringent and deterrent action must be taken against those who outrage the modesty or harass women in any manner," the Congress leader said.
Replying to a question on Godse and assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Sharma said those who are familiar with history are also fully informed that there was an open trial.
"India is an open and democratic society and Gandhi's assassination trial took place in full public view. Books have been written on who...Was discharged and not acquitted and Godse and others who were convicted of the murder of the Father of the Nation," he said.
On the claims of BJP leaders that Modi worked for 21 hours a day and has not slept properly for the last 34 months for the sake of the nation, Sharma said we have the right and duty to criticsze the Prime Minister as an Opposition Party.
"Amit Shah is as acolyte of Shri Narendra Modi and they are ardent follower. I have no objection to that," he said taking a dig at the BJP chief.
