Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh criticizes PM Modi's speech for bias, inadequate issue addressing, insensitivity to Manipur violence, disputed border claims, and favoring corporate monopolies in economic policies.
The Independence Day speech delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticized by the Congress party for allegedly promoting a politically biased narrative. Congress Communications Chief Jairam Ramesh voiced concerns over the speech's accuracy and its failure to address critical issues during the government's nine-year tenure. He remarked that Modi's speech amounted to a crass election speech packed with “distortions, lies, exaggerations and vague promises,” as reported by Maktoob Media.
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh criticized Prime Minister Modi for downplaying the ongoing turmoil in Manipur. Ramesh highlighted the insensitivity of the Prime Minister's comparison of the situation in Manipur to other parts of the country. The Congress party asserted that this approach failed to acknowledge the gravity of the challenges faced by the region. “Modi showed no sorrow or acknowledgment of the abject failures which have led to Manipur turning into a war zone. He brazenly claimed that Bharat Mata is being rejuvenated in Amrit Kaal — when the whole nation has witnessed her fate in Manipur where women are being brutally violated,” he claimed.
The Congress spokesperson further pointed out the omission of crucial aspects in the Prime Minister's account of India's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Modi lauded India's global pandemic management capabilities, Ramesh highlighted the absence of acknowledgment for the significant COVID-related death toll, which places India as the global leader in terms of fatalities according to the World Health Organization. Ramesh attributed this dire outcome to inadequacies in oxygen supplies and vaccine procurement.
The Congress leader challenged the Prime Minister's claims of enhanced border security by citing the persistent Chinese occupation of Indian territory. Ramesh refuted Modi's claims of no incursions, citing evidence to the contrary.
The Congress party's evaluation also included criticism of the economic domain, which was deemed to work against the welfare of the public. Ramesh highlighted the concentration of economic power within a few corporations, exacerbating price inflation and income inequality. In his words, “...the only ‘transformation’ has been in the concentration of economic power in select Modi-made Monopolies (3M) that is exacerbating price rise and ensuring record inequality. Especially, the PM’s direct role in directing deals and government revenues towards his most favored business group.”
By: Mustafa Ghanim
