New Delhi [India], February 2 (ANI): Criticizing the Presidential address that marked the beginning of the Budget Session of the Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the speech had no strategic vision and did not touch upon the main challenges that our country is facing currently including the growing gap between the extremely rich and the poor in the country.
Speaking at Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said, “Unfortunately, the Presidental Address was a long list of things that the government claims to have done but did not really contain the deeper strategic issues that we would have liked to see. It did not touch a couple of central challenges facing our country.” “To me, it seemed that Presidential Address was a list of bureaucratic ideas instead of a strategic vision. It looked to me as if it has been constructed not by a vision of leadership but by a group of bureaucrats who had to simply put something down on paper,” stated the Congress MP.
Criticizing the President’s address that marked the beginning of the Budget Session of the Parliament, the Wayanad MP said the speech had no strategic vision and did not touch upon the main challenges that our country is facing currently including the growing gap between the extremely rich and the poor in the country. “Unfortunately, the President’s Address was a long list of things that the government claims to have done but did not really contain the deeper strategic issues that we would have liked to see. It did not touch a couple of central challenges facing our country.”
“To me, it seemed that Presidential Address was a list of bureaucratic ideas instead of a strategic vision. It looked to me as if it has been constructed not by a vision of leadership but by a group of bureaucrats who had to simply put something down on paper,” stated the Congress MP. He further said that the Presidental Address did not mention the idea of “two Indias”.
“I think there were three fundamental things that were not spoken about in the Presidential Address. First, and what I consider to be the most important, is the idea that there are now two Indias. There is now no longer one India,” said Rahul Gandhi.
“One India is for the extremely rich people – for those who have immense wealth, immense power, for those who do not need a job, those who do not need water connection, electricity connections, but for those who control the heartbeat of the country. And then another India for the poor. The gap between these two Indias is widening,” he added.
The 2022 Budget Session of the Parliament commenced on January 31 with President Ram Nath Kovind’s address. The first part of the budget session is being held from January 31 to February 11 and the second part will take place from March 14 to April 8. (ANI)
India facing highest unemployment in 50 years: Rahul Gandhi slams Centre
Slamming the central government over the faulty policies, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said India is facing the highest level of unemployment in 50 years under the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre. Rahul Gandhi said, “Government speaks of providing employment. 3 crore youth lost their jobs in 2021. Today India is facing the highest unemployment in 50 years. You talk of Made-in-India, Start-Up India, but the youth did not get the employment they were supposed to. The one they had has disappeared. The government pushed 23 crore people back into poverty.”
The Congress MP said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had pulled 27 crore people out of poverty in 10 years. “There was not a single word on unemployment in the President’s Address. The youth across the country is looking for jobs. The government is unable to provide them with one. They talk about ‘Made-in-India’. But there cannot be Made-in-India today. The matter has ended because who are the people involved in Made-in-India? Small and medium industry, unorganized sector – whom the Centre has finished. Made-in-India is not going to take place,” said Rahul Gandhi while addressing Lok Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
Centre made strategic mistake, brought China-Pak together
Criticizing the foreign policy of the BJP-led government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the Centre has committed a crime of bringing China and Pakistan together and made a “huge strategic mistake” in Jammu and Kashmir. Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address, Rahul Gandhi said, “China has a plan. The Chinese have a very clear vision of what they want to do. The single biggest strategic goal of India’s foreign policy has been to keep Pakistan and China separate. What you (Centre) have done is, you have brought them together.”
“Do not be under any illusion, do not underestimate the force that is standing in front of you. You have brought Pakistan and China together. This is the single biggest crime that you could commit against the people of India, huge strategic mistake in Jammu and Kashmir.” stated the Congress MP.
He further alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s foreign policy has made India isolated. “Ask yourselves why you are not able to get a guest on Republic Day. Today India is completely isolated and surrounded. We are surrounded by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China. Everywhere we are surrounded. Our opponents understand our position,” he added.
Referring to the India-China border stand-off in Doklam, Rahul Gandhi said,”This is the single biggest crime you have committed against the people of India. China has a clear-cut plan which they have implemented in Doklam and Ladakh. This is a very serious threat to the Indian nation. We have made a huge strategic mistake in our foreign policy,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre, says judiciary, Election Commission, Pegasus tools of ‘destroying voice of states’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led government in Lok Sabha stating that “institutions of our country are being attacked and captured by one idea” and “the judiciary, the Election Commission, Pegasus, are all instruments of destroying the voice of the union of states”. BJP leaders targeted Rahul Gandhi over his remarks concerning the judiciary and Election Commission.
Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address, Gandhi accused the Centre of having a “flawed vision” and centralising power. He said, “the idea of a king has come back”. “There are two visions one is the union of states, the union of languages and the union of cultures. This is like a bouquet of flowers and no power in the world could challenge this bouquet. There is another vision of ruling by a stick by Centre. You people have no idea of history. Because every time it has been attempted, the stick to be broken and smashed. The result of the flawed vision of the centre is two Indias being created,” he said.
“This centralised vision of king has been removed by Congress in 1947. Now the idea of a king has come back. Now there is a king, a Shahenshah, a ruler of rulers and master of masters. As a result the instrument of conversation between states and our people which we call the institutions of our country are being attacked and captured by one idea. The judiciary, the Election Commission, Pegasus, these are all instruments of destroying the voice of the union of states,” he added.
In July 2021, names of several opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi and over 40 Indian journalists appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance allegedly using Pegasus spyware, according to a news report.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had responded to the opposition allegations in Parliament and said “there is no substance behind the sensationalism”. (ANI)
