india

Updated: Jun 27, 2019 01:20 IST

Criticising the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not giving credit to India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for contributing to the country’s growth, the Congress on Wednesday said the foundations of the nation were not laid in 2014 when the BJP came to power at the Centre.

Congress leader Anand Sharma, while speaking during the motion of thanks to the President’s address, asked, “If the foundation was laid in 2014, then which foundation was laid on August 15, 1947, when the Father of the Nation was there, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Azad, BR Ambedkar were alive?”

He took a jibe at the BJP for spending heavily on canvassing during the elections and said party president Amit Shah should give tips to his party on raising funds for electoral purposes. “...Please tell Amit Shah to tell our treasurer Ahmed Patel where this (money) comes from,” he said, drawing laughter.

Former tourism minister KJ Alphons accused the Opposition of not “celebrating” the achievements of the government. He said minorities are safe under Modi’s rule. “Five years back it was said that Christians will be beaten up and churches will be burnt once the BJP comes to power... Have you seen any Christian being beaten up or any church being burnt?” he asked.

Bahujan Samaj Party’s Veer Singh criticised the government for the high unemployment rate. Abdul Wahab of the Indian Union Muslim League claimed BJP leaders had invented a new branch of engineering known as “election engineering”.

In a discussion on the water crisis in some parts of the country, Trinamool Congress’s Manas Bhunia accused the government of waking up late. He said policy think tank Niti Aayog had said that 60 crore people were suffering because of it. He claimed that 84 per cent rural households lacked access to piped water.