Sonia Gandhi’s article stings BJP, Union ministers hit back

Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Kiren Rijiju slammed Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for her a hard-hitting article, published in The Hindu, in which she accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of “systematically dismantling all three pillars of India’s democracy”.

In the piece titled, ‘An enforced silence cannot solve India’s problems’, the former Congress president underlined that “over 95 percent of political cases (are) filed only against Opposition parties” and that leaders who join the BJP are “miraculously evaporating”.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju hit out at her for “lecturing about democracy” and said the Congress talking about independence of judiciary is an “illusory statement of the highest improbity”.

On Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha, Rijiju mocked the Gandhi scion and said, “I am observing very closely that the person who speaks the most, inside and outside Parliament, is saying he cannot speak.” He shared snippets from various speeches that attacked “certain elements” and “individuals” He said “Indian democracy died only once… in 1975… and never thereafter.”  He said: “Problem comes whenever and wherever a set of people believe they have divine authority to rule… if some family or individuals are thinking they are above normal citizens, that they are privileged… then the whole thinking goes to a different level.”

Reacting sharply on the article, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the editorial a “classic example of Modi hatred, misplaced priorities and overestimation of relevance at the national level”. He tweeted: “Congress leadership must come out of their illusion and wake up to the ground reality— India’s democracy is flourishing, people know PM Modi’s intentions and that is why they believe and bless him.”

‘Religious festivals occasions to bully others’

Sonia Gandhi in her article hit out at PM, underlining that Modi’s “actions speak far louder than his words”. She also hit out over ‘political intimidation’ of Indian media organisations, alleging ‘debates on news channels (are) emerging as slanging matches to shout down and silence those who question the government’. She wrote: “The misuse of laws meant for national security against journalists, activists, and reputed think tanks has been unprecedented.”

Sonia Gandhi said that the BJP and the RSS are “egging on” hatred and violence, raising concern on Modi “ignoring it”. Modi has not once called for peace or harmony or acted to reign in offenders, she wrote.

“Religious festivals seem to have become occasions to intimidate and bully others — a far cry from when they were occasions for joy and celebration. Instead, there is intimidation and discrimination only on account of their religion, food, caste, gender or language,” wrote Sonia in her scathing attack on the central government.

She implied that the current dispensation has weakened all the institutions. She touched upon Rahul Gnadhi’s disqualification and the Adani-Hindenburg issues besides throwing light on the lapses on the fronts of democracy and freedom.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge shared the editorial, calling it a “thought-provoking indictment of the Modi government’. He tweeted: “Despite the Prime Minister’s best efforts, the people of India cannot and will not be silenced.”