Congress leader Sonia Gandhi criticized Narendra Modi on Saturday for choosing to take oath as Prime Minister. The senior politician claimed that the PM-designate had lost the mandate he sought and questioned him for not taking “responsibility for failure”. The remarks came even as members of the BJP-led NDA prepared to be sworn-in for a record third term.
“The Prime Minister who sought the mandate solely in his name to the exclusion of both his party and its allies has suffered a political and worse, a moral defeat. In reality, he has lost the mandate he sought and thereby lost the right to leadership as well. Yet, far from taking responsibility for failure, he intends to get himself sworn in again,” Sonia Gandhi said while addressing the extended CWC meeting on Saturday.
Gandhi — unanimously elected the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party on Saturday — also said that they did not expect Modi to “change the substance and style of his governance or take cognizance of the will of the people”.
The BJP-led alliance returned to power with a reduced majority this week as the INDIA bloc secured 233 seats. The Congress secured 99 seats to emerge as the second largest party in the Lok Sabha. This is also the first time in 10 years that the party will be eligible to select a Leader of Opposition.
Sonia Gandhi insisted on Saturday that members of the CPP had a “special obligation to be watchful, vigilant and proactive in holding him and his new NDA government accountable”.
“No longer can and should Parliament be bulldozed like it has been for a decade now. No longer will the writ of the ruling establishment be permitted to disrupt Parliament, whimsically mistreat members or push through legislation without due and proper consideration and debate. No longer can and should Parliamentary Committees be ignored or bypassed like they have been since 2014. No longer will Parliament be muzzled and stifled as it has been over the past ten years,” the Congress leader said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published: 09 Jun 2024, 04:56 PM IST
