Oppn flexes muscles, attacks NDA govt on its 3rd anniversary

27/05/2017

New Delhi, May 26: The opposition today launched a frontal attack on the NDA government on its third anniversary, with the Congress saying that the country was "on the verge of strife" and had a "dark future" under Modi dispensation while other parties alleged atrocities against weaker sections.
Top opposition leaders who came together at a luncheon hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi highlighted the "failures" of Modi government, including "incidents of intolerance", and resolved to unitedly oppose its policies which, they alleged, were imposing unprecedented burden on all sections of people, including the poor, working class, SC/STs, minorities and women.
The parties also expressed concern over the prevailing grave situation in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a joint statement issued on the opposition's behalf.
The Congress predicted "a dark future" for the country on the economic and social side and alleged that it was on the verge of seeing strife. It also demanded a White Paper on the government's employment strategy.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi alleged that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had "failed to deliver", and so tried to "divide and distract" the people.
Gandhi also stressed that "anger and hatred" were no solutions to the problems that the people faced.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said the hallmark of this government in the last three years has been of "bravado, rhetoric and hyperbole" and is spending more than Rs 2,000 crore on this publicity blitz on its anniversary.
"The future of this country is dark from the economic point of view and from the social point of view. The country had never been so divided. The country is on the verge of seeing strife in the future," he told reporters here.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said all parties criticised the handling of Kashmir and Saharanpur incidents as well as demonetisation and rising incidents of vigilantism and attacks on various sections including dalits, minorities and women.
"Everyone criticised the horrible situation in Kashmir, Saharanpur," she said after the meeting.
The opposition leaders spoke against the current climate of "intolerance and imposition of ideology:.
Sharad Yadav and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said government had "failed on all fronts".
"Modi has been successful only on one front that the Pakistan flag is fluttering in Jammu and Kashmir," Lalu Prasad said.
CPI's D Raja alleged that the government has not fulfilled any promise made to people. "What is there to celebrate, except failures of this government."
Nath, a former Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said the highlight of Modi government is "media management, propaganda, platitudes and acronyms" and asked the people to bring a change in the politics.
"India needs a massive political change. This change in politics is not only going to reflect in the politics of today but the politics of tomorrow."
"The three years of government is only 'Bhashan or Ashvasan' (speeches and promises).
"The biggest challenge is unemployment," he said, adding that "unfortunately the country is becoming a victim to this hyperbole and sloganeering."
Alleging the government has failed to create jobs, he said, "We demand the government issue a White Paper on its employment strategy."
Nath said that diversionary tactics were being used by the BJP.
Nath said the IT sector is facing joblessness and feared this is not only going to cause economic issues, but huge social issues.
"In the last three years, aspirations have been crushed and the nation betrayed. Is BJP government's 'Modi Fest' a celebration of people? Are farmers and youths celebrating? Is the industry celebrating?" he asked.
Forging a common stance on the upcoming presidential polls, a united opposition that included the Congress and some arch rivals today decided to field its candidate if the NDA government fails to come up with an "acceptable consensual" nominee.
Leaders of 17 parties came together at a luncheon hosted by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on a day when the Modi government celebrated its third anniversary today but the absence of JD(U) stalwart and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar set off speculation.
Kumar is likely to be present at the lunch Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting here tomorrow for visiting Mauritius Premier Pravind Jugnauth. JD(U) leader Pavan Verma, however, said that nothing should be read into the chief minister's absence at today's meeting.
Incumbent Pranab Mukherjee demits office on July 25.
The meeting also saw opposition leaders attack the Centre on the "grave" situation in Kashmir and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and alleged that various sections of society -- Dalits, youth, women, poor and oppressed sections were facing atrocities in this regime.
Bitter rivals in Uttar Pradesh -- the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party -- and arch foes in West Bengal -- the Trinamool Congress and the Left -- were all present at the luncheon at the Parliament House library.
Apart from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, BSP's Mayawati and SP's Akhilesh Yadav, sat under one platform and attended the lunch together with other opposition leaders - NCPs' Sharad Pawar, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and DMK's Kanimozhi.
The JD-U was represented there by Sharad Yadav and K C Tyagi, besides RJD's Prem Chand Gupta.
Other Left leaders CPI's S Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja and CPI-M's P Karunakaran were also present, apart from SP's Naresh Agarwal and Ram Gopal Yadav and BSPs Satish Mishra.
Besides representatives of smaller regional parties, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, JMM's Hemant Soren and Sanjiv Kumar, IUML's P K Kunhalikutty, JD-S's C S Puttaraju, AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal and RSP's N K Premchandran also attended the event.
Apart from Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the Congress was represented by former prime minister Manmohan Singh and leaders Ahmed Patel, A K Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad besides Mallikarjun Kharge.
After the meeting, Azad and Sharad Yadav read out a joint statement stating that in view of the presidential election, the normal practice has been that the ruling party takes the initiative to build a consensus on the names of candidates for these important offices.
"This has not happened so far. If acceptable consensual candidates do not emerge, then we (opposition parties) shall decide to field such persons who shall steadfastly defend the Constitutional values of our Republic," the statement said.
Yadav said the opposition appeals to the BJP to take the lead and come up with a consensus candidate for the president and the vice president's post, as per traditions, but a consensus between the ruling and opposition sides appears remote.
"We want that someone who protects the Constitution holds this post," he said.
Yadav also said that this opposition unity will continue till the next Lok Sabha elections and "take the challenge" together. He said the leaders of all parties would also work together in raising issues both outside and inside Parliament.
The opposition statement attacked the ruling dispensation expressing their resolve to strengthen floor coordination in Parliament and "to unitedly oppose this government's policies, that are imposing unprecedented burden on all sections of our people, farmers, working people, youth, SC/STs, minorities, women and other weaker sections of the society".
"The opposition parties also expressed concern over the prevailing grave situation in Jammu and Kashmir," the statement also said.
Banerjee, who was one of the first leaders to arrive and leave, separately said in case a consensus candidate does not come up a small committee of opposition leaders will be formed to select a suitable presidential candidate who is "good and secular".
Lalu said the NDA had "failed" on all fronts.
"Its only achievement is that it has set the Pakistan flag fluttering in Kashmir for the first time after independence," he said.
Banerjee told reporters after the lunch that the parties present criticised the "horrible" situation in Kashmir, where security forces were battling civilians, and in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district, which has been witnessing caste clashes since April.
However, accusing the Modi government of not fulfilling its promises, opposition Congress today said the Centre had failed on all fronts including employment generation, smart cities, internal security and Lokpal.
"Modi government had promised to give employment to two crore youths annually but actually it had been able to give jobs to only 1.35 lakh people in 2015 and in 2016 too it could give jobs to about as many people," Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference here on the occasion of the BJP-led NDA government completing three years in office.
Raising the issue of farmers' suicides, Singhvi said instead of finding a solution to their problems, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ministers were calling such farmers cowards.
On corruption too, the Modi government has been making only hollow claims, he said adding that the non-constitution of a Lokpal only proves this.
Despite coming to power with an absolute majority, the prime minister has been silent on Lokpal, Singhvi said.
Making a mention of Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, he said around 50 people allegedly involved in the fraud were killed but the CBI was yet to submit a report on it.
He also alleged that a company in which former Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel's daughter had a stake was given 250 acres of land near Gir forest at a rate of Rs 15 per square metre.
Charging the government with failure on the internal security front, he said the situation in Jammu & Kashmir was never as bad as it is today.

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