- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressed strong criticism of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill’s passage in the Lok Sabha, labeling it a blatant attack on the Constitution. She called on party lawmakers to take an assertive stance against what she described as the failures of the BJP-led NDA government.
During a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Central Hall, Sonia stated that the bill was forcefully pushed through Parliament. “This Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is part of the BJP’s deliberate strategy to maintain permanent polarization in our society,” she declared.
Sonia also voiced her strong opposition to the One Nation, One Election Bill (ONOE), dubbing it another infringement on constitutional principles. She pointed out the ongoing neglect of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which had been passed by both Houses two years prior yet continues to be overlooked in terms of the one-third reservation for women from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and OBC communities.
Sonia directly accused the Modi government of diluting four landmark laws introduced during the UPA regime, including the Right to Information (RTI), the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the Forest Rights Act, and the Land Acquisition Act. She further stated that while the National Food Security Act of 2013 provides for food security for over 80 crore people, an additional 14 crore remain deprived of their legal rights due to the Centre’s failure to conduct the Census.
She urged Congress members to remain vigilant in countering the Modi government’s attempts to misconstrue their policies as its own. “The Modi government is dragging the country towards a situation where the Constitution will exist only on paper. It is essential for all of us to fight for justice and expose the government’s failures and ambitions to turn India into a surveillance state,” she emphasized.
Sonia accused the Prime Minister of rebranding and claiming credit for various initiatives taken between 2004 and 2014, urging for this to be publicized through the party’s outreach efforts.
She noted that BJP MPs often aggressively criticize Congress-ruled states in Parliament and encouraged Congress lawmakers to be equally confrontational in highlighting the failures of the BJP-led government. “I observe BJP members targeting our state governments with baseless claims during Zero Hour. All of you should be just as aggressive in addressing the misgovernance in BJP-ruled states, requiring deeper homework and research on our part,” she said.
Additionally, a Congress Rajya Sabha MP raised concerns about Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi being denied opportunities to speak in the Lok Sabha, while also mentioning that Mallikarjun Kharge, the LoP in Rajya Sabha, faced similar restrictions. “This is quite extraordinary and shocking, aimed at silencing the Opposition from raising issues that could challenge the Government,” she concluded.
