PM Modi presiding over murder of democracy: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he may have passed a “self-proclaimed and dubiously invented” milestone, but he is a “millstone” around India’s neck, presiding over the “murder of democracy”. The Opposition party’s attack came as Modi became India’s longest continuously serving elected prime minister.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Jawaharlal Nehru became prime minister of India on August 15, 1947, presiding over a stellar Cabinet — the likes of which have rarely been seen in the world. Over the next five years, modern India came into being, he said on social media.
“Over 560 princely states were integrated peacefully into the Indian Union, the Constitution of India was debated and adopted, zamindari was abolished, reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were put in place, a number of multipurpose irrigation-cum-power projects were launched, the infrastructure for science and technology capability was established (including in nuclear energy), and India emerged as a force in global affairs,” Ramesh said.
Electoral rolls bearing 170 million registered voters were prepared to ensure universal adult franchise, and India’s first General Elections were held between October 1951 and February 1952, he said.
“The 1947-52 record of achievements of India with Nehru as PM, in which stalwarts like Sardar Patel, Dr Ambedkar, Dr Rajendra Prasad, C Rajagopalachari, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad played such a pivotal role, is now sought to be erased by Mr Modi, who has a pathological fixation on Nehru,” the Congress general secretary in-charge communications alleged.
“He (Modi) may have passed a self-proclaimed and dubiously invented milestone today, but he is a millstone around India’s neck, presiding as he is over the Murder of Democracy in India,” Ramesh alleged.
The very same establishments of democracy — an independent Election Commission and a sacrosanct voter list -- are now threatened, he claimed.
“Scientific temper has been erased through the destruction of our educational institutions, as exposed most recently by the NEET-CBSE scandals. Reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes have been weakened through privatisation and nefarious instruments like ‘Not Found Suitable’,” Ramesh said.
And while Nehru won in 1952, 1957, and 1962 with a hugely decisive majority, Modi “did not secure even a simple majority by a considerable margin in 2024 and had to hurriedly convene an NDA meeting bypassing the BJP Parliamentary Party to anoint himself as PM,” Ramesh said, adding that “2024 was most certainly not a mandate for him”.
