Narendra Modi government has strangulated democracy : Sonia
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the NDA government over the suspension of Opposition lawmakers, saying, “Democracy has been strangulated by this government.”
Gandhi announced the party’s preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha election highlighting that “The issues at stake are fundamental” and “We have our task cut out both as a party in our own right and also as a member of the INDIA group,” while addressing the meeting of the Congress parliamentary party.
Gandhi also offered her first public reaction following the Congress’ defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls. “The results are very disappointing for our party is an understatement. We are facing enormous challenges, yet I am confident that our fortitude and resilience will see us through.”
The former Congress president, who piloted the party to return to power in 2004, asked her colleagues to “channel our disappointment into a positive drive for the coming general elections.”
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of showing, “…his disdain for the dignity of the house and his disregard for the people of our country” in a hard-hitting speech, Gandhi spoke about the suspension of large number of Opposition MPs from both Houses of Parliament. “Democracy has been strangulated by this government. Never before have so many Opposition Members of Parliament been suspended from the house, and that too, simply for raising a perfectly reasonable and legitimate demand,” Gandhi said.
“All that the opposition Members of Parliament asked for was a statement to be made by the home minister in the Lok Sabha addressing the extraordinary events of the 13th of December. There are no words to describe the arrogance with which this request was treated,” she added.