The unseemly remarks about Mahatma Gandhi, who is revered all over the world as a great visionary and an apostle of peace and non violence, who led the country in its struggle for freedom from colonial forces, by the BJP President Amit Shah are beneath contempt even to be condemned. It shows the hollowness of his culture and shallowness of his understanding about the feelings that the nation has for the Mahatma. No amounts of crass remarks by the people like him are going to undo the affection that the nation has for the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

The Congress Working Committee was convened under the Chairmanship of the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi on 6thJune 2017. CWC appreciated the achievements of ISRO established 60 years ago by India’s Visionary First Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. ISRO with its achievements has not only done India proud, it’s also an asset to the world community. CWC congratulated the scientists of ISRO for their historic achievement.

The CWC expressed its deep sympathy with the fate of the farmers and the manner in which this government is treating them. Since the UPA was a pro farmer Government the production of farm produce kept on increasing. The BJP made an election promise of increasing MSP to 50% over and above their actual cost. But this too was a lie. 12,000 farmers have committed suicide due to agrarian distress. The farmers are agitating all across the country. Everything has become more expensive and nothing is being done to control prices. Even with the international price of crude having come down to below half during UPA time, no benefit has been passed on to the people in the country.

The agitation by farmers with similar demands is happening all over the country. Instead of listening to the woes of the farmers and giving them an assurance of redress the Governments of BJP-ruled states are getting offensive against them blaming the agitation as a ploy of the opposition they have gone to the extent of shooting and killing the agitating farmers. It has been many days since the happenings in Mandasur in MP. However the Prime Minister who tweets on anything and everything hasn’t had a word to say of remorse or condolence. The promise of giving an MSP with 50% enhancement on cost has been made by the BJP in its manifesto. The farmers, therefore, voted them to power. How can they now attempt to quell the voice by murdering them in broad daylight? The first knee jerk reaction was that they were not killed in police firing. Then, that it was the Congress who was instigating them. And thereafter that it was a photo-op for the opposition. Instead of understanding the genuine issues of the farmers and giving them relief the CM of MP sat on a fast. What a farcical situation of blackmail, threatening the farmers in this subtle manner!

Congress Vice President Shri Rahul Gandhi was stopped from proceeding to Mandsaur to share the grief of those whose loved ones were killed by the barbaric act of the MP Government.

In the same manner Congress Vice President, Shri Rahul Gandhi had had to face tremendous obstacles in reaching out to the victims of Saharanpur clash. He said that ‘it is duty of the UP Chief Minister to protect the weak and its CM should start doing this. The NDA Govt. has spread fear among the weaker section of the society all across the country’. The NDA government has been shouting the slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ but the truth is just opposite to it.

When the PM made an announcement of demonetization on 8th, November last year he said it was a revolutionary step. This would bring back black money, inflation would reduce, the GDP would enhance and the infiltration of terrorists would reduce. The counterfeit currency would go out of circulation and tax collection would substantially increase. The former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, a renowned economist the world over, warned that this would have an impact on Growth and economy and the GDP could come down by almost 2%. The Government trashed his claims. But now the effects are visible. The GDP has come down, job Market has crashed, Industrial production has shrunk, both educated and un-educated are only witnessing dismay in their life with no visible opportunity. Every section of society has been adversely affected. The way, every voice of dissent is muzzled in the country is unprecedented. Blatant misuse of Government machinery in this manner has never happened before.

The Government is celebrating the completion of three years in office and patting its own back for the so called progress the country is said to have made. But the figures of its own departments belie the claims of the BJP leadership. The only thing they can claim truly is the atmosphere of fear that they have spread amongst all sections of society. Be it the poor, backwards, youth, students, women, media and even the business community. An example of this was displayed with the recent CBI raid on NDTV. Congress Party condemned it saying that during the last three years, the NDA government gave the country nothing but fear and apprehension. The attack on NDTV is a reflection of a well thought out strategy to muzzle every voice that tries to question the rationale of its decision, policies and their efficacies and refuses to budge under its browbeating and insinuations against criticism. Any attempt to crush the freedom of the press through intimidation in any form warrants severe condemnation. The freedom of expression must be safeguarded at any cost as it has come under pressure. The who’s who of the media collected at the press club to condemn this government action in no uncertain words.

The government is busy trying to divert attention of the country from economic issues and direct it towards fissiparous emotive issues like Gau Hatya, Love Jihad, Romeo Squads, Triple Talak, relations with Pakistan etc. All these have a place in our society, but its prime responsibility of providing means and shelter to the people of the country cannot be done away with.

The Congress Sandesh joins the entire rank and file of the Party and well wishers in wishing very happy birthday to its Vice President Shri Rahul Gandhi, which falls on 19th June. We wish him many years to come in the service of the party and the nation.

The unseemly remarks about Mahatma Gandhi, who is revered all over the world as a great visionary and an apostle of peace and non violence….