NEW DELHI, June 29: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi stated on Saturday that the Lok Sabha poll verdict signaled a “personal, political, and moral defeat” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yet he continues to act as if nothing has changed. In a newspaper article, Gandhi asserted there is “not the slightest evidence” that Modi has acknowledged the electoral outcome or comprehended the verdict.
Gandhi noted that when the Prime Minister’s “emissaries sought unanimity for the post of Speaker,” the opposition INDIA bloc agreed to support the government. However, she pointed out that the opposition’s “perfectly reasonable request” for the deputy speaker post to be given to a member from their ranks was rejected by the government. She emphasized that the opposition alliance remains committed to restoring balance and productivity in Parliament.
“On June 4, 2024, the verdict of our country’s electorate was delivered clearly and resoundingly. It signaled a personal, political, and moral defeat for a prime minister who had awarded himself a divine status during the campaign,” Gandhi said. “Yet, the Prime Minister continues as if nothing has changed. He preaches the value of consensus but continues to value confrontation,” she added.
Gandhi also criticized the frequent references to the Emergency by the Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha Speaker, and BJP leaders, calling it an attempt to divert attention from the “assault on the Constitution.” She highlighted that the Emergency was addressed by the electorate in March 1977, a verdict accepted without hesitation.
On June 26, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla read a resolution in the House condemning the imposition of Emergency in 1975 by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, prompting protests from the Congress. Prime Minister Modi supported the Speaker’s reference, stating it was crucial for the youth to understand the period as a “fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled, and institutions are destroyed.”
In her article, Gandhi mentioned the passage of three new criminal laws and the suspension of 146 MPs during the Winter Session. She urged that the three legislations, set to replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, be kept in abeyance until they undergo full Parliamentary scrutiny. These laws, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, are slated to come into force on July 1.
Regarding the ongoing NEET exam controversy, Gandhi noted, “The Prime Minister, who conducts ‘Pariksha pe Charcha,’ has been conspicuously silent on the leaks that have devastated so many families across the country.”
Gandhi concluded by asserting that the opposition will continue to raise people’s issues and expressed hope that the Prime Minister and his government would respond positively. “The initial evidence does not augur well, but we in the Opposition are committed to restoring balance and productivity in Parliament,” she said.
