'Narendra Modi govt bent on misusing every power’: What Sonia Gandhi said about PM Modi in editorial

Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government in an editorial published on Tuesday. She criticised him for attacking India’s institutions, misusing government agencies, undermining the judiciary, and compromising the Indian media in an editorial for The Hindu. 

In the piece, Gandhi wrote that PM Modi while venting his anger on the opposition and blaming past leaders for today’s ills has conveniently ignored the pressing issues of the day. She said that the government, in the past months, ‘dismantled’ all the three pillars of democracy – legislature, executive and the judiciary. Their actions demonstrated a “a deep-rooted disdain for democracy and democratic accountability”, she wrote.

The Congress Chairperson cited the recent disruptions at the Parliament and accused the BJP leaders of preventing the opposition from raising issues of grave importance, including unemployment, inflation, social divisions, the year’s Budget, and the Adani scam. 

She accused the ruling party of resorting to unprecedented measures like expunging speeches, preventing discussions, attacking MPs and disqualifying a Congress MP “at lightning speed”. The Congress MP in question is her son Rahul Gandhi, who was, last month, disqualified as an MP, following a court order that convicted him in the ‘Modi surname’ case.

Gandhi said that the Rs 45 lakh crore Budget was passed without any debate. PM Modi was busy inaugurating projects in his constituency when the Finance Bill was “rammed through the Lok Sabha”. 

The Congress leader also accused the Modi government of misusing agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to file cases against the opposition leaders. She also said that laws meant for national security are being used against journalists, activists and think tanks. 

Sonia Gandhi also spoke about the amendment of Information Technology, that, she said, gives the power to the government to deem any news it dislikes as ‘fake news’. 

The Prime Minister was silent on “legitimate questions on his government’s actions which affect the lives of millions”, said Gandhi. She said that issues of unemployment or inflation were not mentioned at all in the Finance Minister’s Budget speech – “it is as if these problems do not exist”, she said. 

“The Prime Minister ignores the rising tide of hatred and violence, egged on by BJP and RSS leaders, and has not once called for peace or harmony, or acted to reign in offenders, let alone bring them to justice. Religious festivals seem to have become occasions to intimidate and bully others — a far cry from when they were occasions for joy and celebration,” wrote Sonia Gandhi in the editorial.  

The Congress Chairperson added that the Prime Minister is in “denial about Chinese infiltration” and has blocked discussions in the Parliament. 

“Our nation is at the crossroads, with the Narendra Modi government bent on misusing every power and elections in several key States,” she wrote in the editorial, further adding that the next few months are a crucial test of our democracy. 

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