Talking an apparent dig at the BJP-led NDA government’s slogan of “Amrit Kaal” (golden era), the Congress party has described the last ten years as “Anyaay (injustice) Kaal”, saying the 10 years of “grave injustice” by BJP government has “severely hurt” the country, its people, democracy, and the Constitution.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan, here on Thursday, AICC national spokesperson and national media coordinator in-charge of Northeast region, Mathew Anthony, stated that the “unprecedented unemployment” has completely shattered the dreams and future of the youth. He asserted that the “backbreaking price rise” has extinguished the hard-earned savings of poor and middle-class, adding that income inequality was at its peak.
Anthony claimed that a handful of Billionaires “rule and puppet” the present dispensation.
He also stated that SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and poor people have been systematically discriminated against.
“Farmers have been betrayed. Women have been deceived. All autonomous institutions have been strangulated and subjugated,” Anthony added.
Further, AICC spokesperson alleged that use of ED, CBI, IT against opposition to illegally overthrow elected governments have become a norm. Anthony said that laws were made by suspending the entire Opposition in the parliament.
He also reiterated the government has grievously endangered the national security by giving “Clean Chit” to China.
“Social, economic and political lives of citizens have been destroyed through a noisy din of Jumlas, PR stunts, glitzy events and sabotaging institutions,” Anthony said.
Highlighting, what he described as “long list of Modi Govt’s injustice in the past 10 years”, Anthony said it had made people of India to suffer enormously. Citing figures, the Congress claimed that the number of jobless people had tripled from one crore in 2012 to four crore in 2022, while the unemployment rate was 45-year high and one in three graduates was looking for a job, but not getting.
Claiming that crime against Dalits increased by 46.11% since 2013 (NCRB) and Adivasis by 48.15% since 2013 (NCRB), the party also asked why the Modi government was running away from a caste census.
It also cited NCRB figures to allege that crime against women was the highest now, with 51 FIRs filed every hour in 2022, even as the BJP released rapists and protected accused and offenders like Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, Sengar, etc.
The party said the share of manufacturing in the economy had been falling since 2014 and hit an all-time low of 13% in 2022.
Alleging that mobile phones were being assembled using parts imported from China and claimed “Make in India”, the Congress said MSMEs had been burdened by high costs after the ill-planned GST and demonetisation.
It also accused the Prime Minister of facilitating Adani’s loot of India by handing over monopolies in ports and airports, letting it overcharge consumers for electricity and use this stolen money to pump up its stock prices under SEBI’s eyes, a scam worth at least Rs 32,000 crore.
It said the richest 1% in India now owned more than 40% of the country’s total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together shared just 3% of the wealth.
The party claimed that the Election Commission of India had been rendered toothless, and refused to act on violations by the BJP and Modi, while cracking down on opposition infractions.
It said 146 opposition MPs were suspended to bulldoze three controversial laws changing the criminal procedures of the country.
Alleging that Modi government and BJP-RSS do not want India to see the reality, AICC spokesperson, however, said India has now realised and would raise its voice together in a powerful manner in the forthcoming elections though the “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
He informed that the 66 days Yatra covering a distance of 6,713km, 110 districts and 15 states aims to fight for economic justice, social justice and political justice.
Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president, S. Supongmeren Jamir, stated that the Yatra has been brought with concessions of the grassroots level. “This is a march for unity and justice,” he added.
He said that the proposed Yatra was not for benefit for any party but for the benefit of the common people.
Others who were present at the press conference included AICC secretary in charge of Nagaland Ranajit Mukherjee, NPCC vice president and BJNY- Nagaland committee convenor Capt. GK Zhimomi and ex-Candidate 11-Northern Angami-2 Seyie Sachu.
They informed that the promise of the Yatra was to provide hope of justice to be made to all type of people. They expressed hope for a peaceful yatra in Nagaland.
They also informed that the public could the Yatra by giving a missed call on 9891802024. The yarta would be crossing five districts in Nagaland covering a distance of 257km. Earlier, the party also released the pamphlets of the yatra.