Competition among governors as to who is more loyal to PM Modi: Mallikarjun Kharge

PTI, Jan 31, 2023, 8:09 PM IST

New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the Opposition will raise during the Budget session the Adani issue, Chinese transgressions at the border and the role of governors who, he alleged, were competing with each other to show loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Budget session began on Tuesday with the maiden address of President Droupadi Murmu to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.

Kharge said the Congress will coordinate with other opposition parties who believe in democracy, secularism and the Constitution in raising issues of high inflation and unemployment besides other matters of concern.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha alleged that the government was not cooperating with state governments and questioned the role of governors in non-BJP ruled states.

”We have also been in the opposition in states, but earlier governors never treated states like this. Now only we are seeing there is a competition among governors as to who will be more loyal to Modi ji,” Kharge told PTI.

Several opposition parties have demanded a discussion in Parliament on the role of governors, in the backdrop of governments of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Delhi raising objections to the actions of their respective state governors and Lt Governor.

The Congress chief also alleged that the government has failed to achieve the targets set in the Economic Survey and the budget speech, and dismissed claims of India achieving 6.5 percent growth.

”The government is always making tall claims. Sometimes they claim 10 percent, 8 percent and all that, last time they claimed 7 percent. Whatever they have said in the Economic Survey or their budget speeches, more or less they have failed to achieve that. Therefore, it is all lies,” he told PTI.

On the Economic Survey stating that India will be among the fastest-growing major economies in the world, Kharge said, ”How it can be measured?” ”Your GDP growth should be fast and that should be inclusive growth. It should not happen that one man can earn 50 times the other and the poor is going to be poorer.

”The wealth of 50 percent is hardly three percent and 10 percent rich are getting more than 72 percent of total wealth. The real help would be when the GDP growth should also help the poor sections. That is our concern,” the Congress chief noted.

He said that is why the previous governments thought of five-year plans, good schemes, private sector, public sector and cooperative sector increase, and their main intention was to improve the life of masses.

Asked about issues to be raised during the Budget session by the Opposition, he said there are many areas of concern, but time is very short as there are hardly ten days in this sitting.

”The China issue is very important because on one side they are claiming that our borders are secure and our security forces are strong…

”But why are you telling a lie when China is building so many bridges, colonies and at nearly 13 points the entry points are made? How can they make 12 entry points between India and China,” he asked.

He said the party raised the issue of Chinese incursions along the LAC in previous sessions also but the government has continued to deflect the matter by saying that raising such matters is against the interest of the country.

”Every time we seek the truth of LAC incursions the government tells us that we are not talking about national interest,” he said.

”We will also highlight the issue of China during the discussion on the President’s address and tell the people of the country the real situation at the border,” he asserted.

Kharge said the opposition would also raise issues like inflation and unemployment which have wanted to raise earlier.

”We will also consult the Opposition and will see what best we can do in this session. We will try to coordinate with other opposition parties.

”We will take the cooperation of all other political parties who believe in democracy and the Constitution and also to keep this country intact,” the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said.

On allegations of financial irregularities against the Adani group levelled by Hindenburg Research, he said, ”We will raise this major issue.” ”Some of the crony capitalists are growing and their wealth is multiplying 50 times and foreign agencies have raised issues after their investigation and India has lost a lot of money.

”Nearly 30 crore people have invested in LIC insurance for securing their future and they may lose their money,” he noted.

The Congress president said they will seek a discussion in Parliament about nationalised banks, LIC, SBI and other institutions lending hard-earned money of taxpayers to select capitalists.

Kharge said the Congress would raise the issue of irregularities flagged by international agencies in respect of the Indian markets and also how the government is ”silent” on the matter.

”Now we have been anxious about these issues for a long time and the fact that the government is not saying anything is bothering us.

”The other opposition parties have also raised their demands in the business advisory committee of both houses of Parliament.

”We will evolve a joint strategy for discussions in Parliament,” the Congress leader said.