Expose Modi Govt’s Surveillance State Intention, Sonia tells Cong
CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi addresses party leaders in Central Hall of parliament on Thursday (Image credit INC India)
Discussion in Lok Sabha on Defence & External Affairs Disallowed: Sonia Gandhi
By TRH News Desk
New Delhi, April 3: Congress parliamentary party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asked the party leaders to “expose the intention of the Modi government to turn India into a surveillance state”. She alleged that the Lok Sabha disallowed discussions on issues concerning Defence and External Affairs.
“It is vital for all of us to continue to fight for what is right and just, to expose Modi government’s failing and intention to turn India into a surveillance state,” Sonia Gandhi told the general body meeting of the CPP in the Central Hall of parliament on Thursday.
She also expressed concerns at the “manner in which parliament is functioning”. “We had demanded a debate on a number of issues of public importance. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the ruling party had denied these too,” said Sonia Gandhi.
She listed out demands for “discussion in the Lok Sabha on the working of the ministries of defence and of external affairs”. “Both these subjects are of critical importance given the increasingly turbulent political atmosphere in our neighborhood, but this was disallowed,” added Sonia Gandhi.
She also alleged that leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha “are not being allowed to speak”. “It is a matter of grave concern to our democracy that the LOP in the Lok Sabha is not permitted to speak. Similarly, time and again, the LOP in the Rajya Sabha, Khargeji is also not allowed to say what he wants to say and indeed must say,” added Sonia Gandhi.
She also spoke of treasury benches forcing adjournment in parliament. “I have been witness to how the House gets adjourned not because of us but because of the protests by the Treasury Benches themselves. This is quite extraordinary and shocking designed to prevent the Opposition from raising their concerns that would put the Government on the spot,” said Sonia Gandhi.
The Congress leader stated that “we have been asking for a discussion in both Houses on the grave challenges posed by China on our borders and the shocking clean chit given to it by the Prime Minister on June 19th, 2020. His statement adversely impacted our negotiating position, but that too was refused.”
She also stated that “imports from China are booming and destroying our MSMEs that are the main job creators in the economy”. Speaking on the Waqf Board Amendment Bill, she said that “it’s a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is very much part of the BJP’s deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarization.”
“The One Nation, One Election Bill is another subversion of the Constitution. We strongly oppose this legislation as well. Meanwhile, our plea for the immediate implementation of the women’s reservation bill passed by both Houses two years back continues to be willfully ignored along with the other demand for one-third reservation for women belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBC communities,” she added.
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