Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged every Indian to fight ‘divisive forces’ on India’s 71st Independence Day while her party termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Red Fort speech as disappointing.
Ms. Gandhi, after unfurling the national flag at the party headquarters, issued a statement “urging citizens to unite and protect the basic principles of Indian-ness”.
“There is a greater need today for all Indians to speak in one voice and fight separatism, terrorism and all such forces which divide and spread hatred in society. All should unite to protect the basic principles of Indian-ness,” the statement said.
Soon after the official flag-hoisting function, Congress leader Anand Sharma declared that the Modi government had failed to deliver on its promises.
Mr. Sharma also accused the Prime Minister of being “insensitive” to the victims of the Gorakhpur tragedy by comparing it with other natural disasters.
“The Prime Minister’s Independence Day address has been most disappointing. After three years, it was time for him to give an account of the failure of his government in fulfilling its promises to the people, especially the youth, farmers and weaker sections,” Mr. Sharma told the media.
Far from the pre-election promise of creating 2 crore jobs every year, the Congress said demonetisation had led to job losses on a large scale.
Mr. Sharma said small traders and entrepreneurs were not prepared for the switchover to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and “the government did nothing to assist them”.
Silent on Doklam issue
The Prime Minister’s silence on border issues like the Doklam face-off was also questioned. “What is being done to de-escalate,” asked Mr. Sharma.
Mr. Modi’s call to embrace the people of Kashmir as a way forward to resolving the issue drew a mixed response. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted to say that the Prime Minister’s words were well-received in the Valley but everyone was “weary” of mere talk with “no concrete action.”
D. Raja, the national secretary of the Communist Party of India, said the words lack conviction. “They (the government) believe in a military solution to the dispute but he talks about embracing Kashmiris. There is no conviction in what he said,” said Mr. Raja.
The CPI leader also questioned Modi’s assertion that “violence in the name of faith is not acceptable”. He told The Hindu, “In his first Independence Day speech he said that he is Pradhan Sewak. What has he done? There are instances of lynchings, communalism is on the rise and he remains a mute spectator.”