Modi Govt failed on all fronts in last nine years: Uttam

Hyderabad/Vijayawada: Congress MP Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre has failed on all fronts in the last nine years with common people not getting any relief.

He was addressing a press conference at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh as part of the Congress party's nationwide campaign '9 saal, 9 sawaal - chuppi todiya Pradhan Mantri Ji' wherein PM Modi has been asked to give replies to questions on nine key issues pertaining to nine years of BJP rule. The questions pertained to the economy, farmers, corruption, national security, social harmony, social justice and other issues.

"The prices of all essential commodities have relentlessly risen since 2014, even though oil prices have fallen from $ 100/barrel to $70/barrel over the same period. Youth unemployment has risen to 30-40%, while real wages have fallen for the poor. This is a disastrous record. Demonetisation and GST have destroyed small businesses without eliminating black money, and Demon 2.0 announced recently is a fresh reminder of your government's heartless approach,"he said while asking PM Modi to answer why inflation and unemployment were skyrocketing in India.

"Why have the rich become richer and the poor become poorer? Why is public property being sold to PM Modi’s friends, even as economic disparities are increasing?" he asked.

Uttam Kumar Reddy questioned the government's failure to honour the agreements made with farmers while repealing the three black farm laws. He criticized the absence of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the lack of progress in doubling farmers' incomes over the past nine years. He accused the government of favouring cronies in the agricultural sector and neglecting the needs of farmers, whose average income stands at a meagre Rs 27 per day.

The Congress MP expressed concerns about the government's alleged favouritism towards industrialist Adani. He accused the government of jeopardizing the hard-earned savings of citizens invested in institutions like the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and the State Bank of India (SBI). "The Modani Mega Scam exposed how national assets like LIC and SBI are risking the savings of crores of policyholders and depositors to make investments and loans to risky companies like Adani. The Adani monopoly is contributing to higher prices for electricity and flights, and research shows that the monopolisation of the Indian economy increases inflation," he said.

He also criticised the government's leniency towards individuals involved in corruption and highlighted the prevalence of corruption in BJP-ruled states, leading to suffering among the Indian population.

Uttam Kumar Reddy raised questions about the government's handling of the border issue with China. "Why is it that even after your clean chit to China in 2020, they continue to occupy Indian territory?" he asked while pointing out that despite 18 meetings between the two nations, Chinese forces continue to occupy Indian territory. He criticized the government's lack of action and strategic planning, highlighting the absence of a National Security Strategy and the reduction in defence spending. He also expressed concerns about the controversial Agnipath Scheme, which he argued could weaken the Armed Forces.

The Congress MP accused the government of employing divisive politics to gain electoral advantages, resulting in an atmosphere of fear and hatred in society. He criticized policies like the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, which he claimed discriminated against certain religious groups. He pointed out the significant increase in hate crimes since 2014 and the government's alleged inaction in addressing violence and hate speech perpetrated by members of the ruling party.

"While you encourage divisiveness for electoral gain, you are too often silent on the violence that has rampaged through Delhi, Manipur and other places in the country," he said.

He said that the government's alleged disregard for social justice principles. He expressed concern about the rise in atrocities against Dalits and criticised the government's refusal to conduct a caste census.

"The rise in atrocities against Dalits of 23% since 2014, after accounting for population growth, is a testament to your two-faced approach. Your refusal to countenance a caste census or to release the results of the 2011 Social Economic and Caste Census show how insincere you are about OBC empowerment," he said.

He also mentioned the weakening of the Forest Rights Act and reduced scholarships for religious minorities. He pointed out the alarming increase in crimes against women, reflecting a lack of commitment to their safety and empowerment. Crimes against women have risen from 3.1 lakh in 2013 to 4.2 lakh in 2021, he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy voiced concerns over the erosion of democratic values and institutions by the government. He accused the ruling party of engaging in political vendettas against opposition parties and leaders. He criticised the government's alleged misuse of power and financial resources to destabilize elected governments, citing instances of toppling governments through coercion and manipulation.

The Congress MP highlighted budget cuts and restrictive rules impacting welfare schemes designed to assist the poor, needy, and tribal communities. He criticized the government's reduction in allocations for crucial schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the National Food Security Act. He also pointed out the affordability issues with the Ujjwala Yojana, impacting access to cooking gas. He expressed concern over the increasing rates of child malnutrition and the discrepancies in claims of achieving Open Defecation Free status.

Uttam Kumar Reddy questioned the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Your (PM Modi's) government ignored early warnings by Rahul Gandhi and then overreacted with the harshest lockdown in the world that caused our quarterly GDP to crash 21%, causing a humanitarian crisis and leaving 4 crore migrants on the streets. It declared premature victory after the first wave and was caught unprepared when the devastating second wave hit India. The failure to have adequate oxygen, medicines and hospital beds resulted in India having the highest COVID-19 death toll of 47 lakh according to the WHO. Meanwhile, your government preferred to fudge data, claiming that no one died due to an oxygen shortage and that it had no information about how many migrants, police personnel and frontline health workers died in the pandemic," he said.

The Congress MP demanded that the Prime Minister must break his silence and answer all the key issues raised by the Congress party.