In response to Sonia Gandhi’s column, the BJP says, “Democracy died only once.”
Before to this year’s key elections in Karnataka and other states, Sonia Gandhi penned an editorial for The Hindu criticizing the governing Bharatiya Janata Party.
Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party in an editorial that appeared in a major national newspaper on Tuesday. With an eye on the general election in 2024, she warned the ruling party that “enforcing quiet cannot fix India’s issues.” She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his administration of “systematically destroying all three pillars of India’s democracy.”
The former head of the Congress spoke on a number of topics, including the expulsion of Rahul Gandhi as a member of the party and the political controversy surrounding the Adani-Hindenburg crisis, which sparked ferocious opposition demonstrations and effectively halted the second half of the Parliament’s Budget session. Additionally, she said that the administration had employed “unprecedented tactics” such expunging speeches.
We have seen the prime minister and his administration methodically undermine the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Indian democracy, with their acts displaying a deep-seated contempt for democracy and democratic responsibility.
Beginning with “a government-led effort to disrupt Parliament and prevent the Opposition from highlighting matters of significant concern… such as unemployment, inflation…,” Sonia Gandhi described the government’s tactics.
The prime minister’s “actions speak far louder than his words,” according to Sonia Gandhi “When not expressing rage at the opposition or at previous leaders for today’s problems, his speeches either disregard the most important issues… or to gloss over or divert attention away from these problems through verbal gymnastics.”
The Congress endorsed the editorial, and party leader Mallikarjun Kharge referred to it as a “thought-provoking criticism of the Modi government.”
Dharmendra Pradhan, the minister of education for the union, criticized the Congress in response and dubbed the opinion piece a “typical example of Modi hatred, wrong priorities, and overestimation of relevance at the national level.”
“Not the country, but Congress, is at a turning point. For the grand old party, which is on the cusp of a political crisis, the days ahead are important.”
What was said in Sonia Gandhi’s editorial?
Disqualifying in a flash…
The senior Congressman further criticized the BJP for “disqualifying a Congress Member of Parliament at rapid speed” (she did not mention Rahul Gandhi). Last month, a court in Gujarat, the home state of Modi, declared Rahul Gandhi guilty of criminal defamation in the “Modi surname” case and sentenced him to two years in prison. As a result, Gandhi was expelled from his position as the Lok Sabha MP for Kerala’s Wayanad.
In order to give the Congressman time to file an appeal, the punishment was immediately suspended by the same court. On Wednesday, a sessions court in Surat, Gujarat, will consider the case.
With the opposition already divided, Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification set off a significant political controversy that gave the BJP’s foes optimism for the Lok Sabha election the following year.
Abuse of the CBI
The former head of the Congress also blasted the BJP for allegedly using federal investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to harass political opponents and intimidate them into silence or submission, a charge that has also been leveled by other opposition leaders.
“About 95% of political cases are exclusively brought against rival political parties, with proceedings against individuals who join the BJP suddenly disappearing. Unprecedented abuse of legislation intended to protect national security against journalists, activists, and reputable think institutes “She composed.
“Crisis point” for the judiciary
After the law minister referred to some judges as “anti-national,” Sonia Gandhi criticized the “systematic effort to undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary” and stated that “this terminology is purposefully used to mislead people, inflame their sentiments, and ultimately intimidate sitting judges.”
Last but not least, she criticized the “political intimidation” of the Indian media, claiming that “evening debates on news channels (are) evolving as slanging matches to shout down and muzzle those who question the administration.”
In her final salvo, Sonia Gandhi also targeted Nirmala Sitharaman, the union finance minister, claiming that “her silence does not help crores of people struggling to buy basic staples such as milk, vegetables, eggs, cooking gas and oil, or youth facing record jobless rates.”
