The prime minister has ‘no vision’ to govern the country effectively: Congress chief
NEW DELHI — Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising inflation, unemployment and the state of the economy, noting that the government had failed to provide relief to people facing financial distress.
Kharge said the country’s economy was “collapsing” and that the prime minister had “no vision” to govern the country effectively. He said rising prices and unemployment have burdened people across the country.
Holding the prime minister directly responsible for the increase in petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices, the Congress president termed the situation a “government-created crisis”. He said that prices of essential commodities had risen sharply, making survival difficult for the poor and lower middle class.
Targeting the BJP’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” slogan, Kharge said that the government’s policies were helping the rich become richer while pushing the poor into greater hardship.
Drawing a comparison with the previous Congress-led UPA government, Kharge said former prime minister Manmohan Singh had protected citizens from the burden of rising global crude oil prices through subsidies even during the international economic crisis. In contrast, he pointed out, the present government was “only engaged in exploiting the public”.
On unemployment, Kharge said lakhs of government posts remained vacant and accused the Centre of deliberately delaying recruitment. He also alleged that profitable public sector undertakings were being sold to “selected friends” of the government, thereby reducing employment opportunities for youth.
Criticising the prime minister’s recent foreign tour, Kharge said the government advised citizens against buying gold or travelling abroad while the prime minister himself undertook visits to five countries.
Referring to a social media video involving Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he said that Modi presented chocolates from a private company instead of products associated with Indian cooperatives or government-supported brands such as Amul, Mother Dairy or Nandini.
Kharge said such actions were not in keeping with the dignity of the Prime Minister’s Office and alleged that Modi appeared more focused on publicity and photo opportunities than on advancing national interests abroad.
Responding to a question regarding praise for Modi by US President Donald Trump, Kharge took a swipe at both leaders, saying people with similar qualities often praise one another. He remarked that Trump wanted to “destroy the world” while Modi wanted to “destroy the country”, adding that this was the similarity between the two.
