Indian National Congress (INC) MP from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the Lok Sabha debate on the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’, saying her party will continue to fight against their ideology.
She said BJP is focusing on elections while her party stands behind the country.
“You (BJP) are for elections, we are for the country. No matter how many elections we lose, we will sit here and keep fighting against you and your ideology. We will keep fighting for our country. You can’t stop us…” ANI quoted Priyanka as saying.
She said there were two reasons for holding a debate on Vande Mataram in the House that day — the first was that elections were coming up in West Bengal and in that situation the Prime Minister wanted to assert his role, and the second was that the government wanted an opportunity to make fresh charges against those who fought for freedom and sacrificed for the country.
She added that by doing this, the government wanted to divert the attention of the nation from vital issues concerning the public.
Priyanka Gandhi criticizes PM Modi
Priyanka further took a swipe at PM Modi, saying that he can present facts but he gets weak in such a situation.
“Today Mr. Prime Minister started this discussion. He gave a speech and he says without hesitation that he makes good speeches, but he weakens when it comes to facts. There is also an art in how facts should be presented to the public. I am new, I am a representative of the people and not an actor…”
She hit out at the BJP for attacking former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and alleged that the government intended to use the debate to level new charges against those who fought for India’s independence.
According to a PTI report, she said, “Since you keep talking about Nehru, let’s do one thing, fix a time for discussion, list all the insults against him… discuss it and close the chapter once and for all. Then let’s talk about today’s issues – price rise and unemployment.”
Read also | Bengal became a ‘divide and rule’ laboratory for the British, Vande Mataram united: PM
The Congress leader outlined the “chronology” of the national song Vande Mataram and referred to correspondence between Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose to counter the Prime Minister’s charge that the Congress had engaged in appeasement politics over the song.
Priyanka Gandhi said that the topic under discussion was connected to the soul of the country and that Vande Mataram evoked memories of India’s freedom struggle. She noted that the debate was unusual because the song already had a deep place in people’s hearts, so no such discussion was necessary.
Priyanka Gandhi gives reasons why the government wanted the Vande Mataram debate
She questioned the purpose of the debate, asking what is their purpose and responsibility to the people and why there should be any controversy surrounding the national anthem.
Read also | IndiGo flight delayed or cancelled? Here’s how you can request a refund
She claimed that the debate was held because of the upcoming elections in Bengal and the Prime Minister wanted to play a role in the political narrative there.
The second reason for the debate, she said, was the government’s intention to bring fresh charges against those who fought for India’s independence and made great sacrifices.
She argued that the government wanted to keep the country focused on the past because it did not want to address the present or plan for the future.
Priyanka Gandhi also hinted that the Prime Minister is no longer as confident as before and claimed that his declining confidence and weakening policies are hurting the country. She added that her colleagues in the government were silent because deep down they were also aware of this.
(With input from agencies)
