Criticising the Centre for the enactment of the CAA and the introduction of NRC and NPR, Congress leader and former Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said that the NDA government at the Centre was doing what was not required to the country.
“India’s economy is in crisis with steadily declining GDP. Factories are shutting and unemployment is attaining new lows. Working communities are reeling under acute poverty. Instead of addressing these issues on a priority basis, the Centre is doing what is not required to the country. Its measures are aimed at spreading hatred among communities and dividing them along communal lines,” he said, referring to CAA, NRC and NPR, at a press conference here on Tuesday.
Strongly opposing the proposed sale of Air India, Mr. Patil said the Centre was taking such measures to benefit the corporate class. “They [BJP] devastated the economy with mismanagement. They don’t have money to run the country. They are cutting funds to social security schemes. They are reducing allocations to States. They took money from RBI reserve funds. Now, they are, in a desperate bid to address the economic crisis, going to sell hard-earned Public Sector Units such as Air India, BSNL and Bharat Petroleum to their corporate friends. The government is, indeed, sold out to big corporate houses such as the Ambani and Adani groups,” he said.
The district Congress unit has planned to mobilise masses to observe the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by organising multiple rallies and a public programme on Thursday. Mr. Patil said that the purpose of this was to make the youth aware of Gandhian principles and their importance in addressing crucial national issues. “The whole world upholds Gandhian principles. The sad thing, however, is that the same principles are being neglected in Gandhi’s home country. The worst part is that Gandhi is being projected as villain and Godse, his assassinator, is being projected as a hero by the right-wing,” he said.
