Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bad mouthing previous governments during his visit to Canada in April.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bad mouthing previous governments during his visit to Canada in April.

"This outrageous remark on foreign soil belittles the dignity of the office he holds and is an embarrassment to the nation," Sonia Gandhi said at a Congress party meeting on Wednesday.

"Such petty behavior does not define us. We in the Congress party are proud of our record and we will continue to fight with conviction for our ideology, programmes and policies, and for the future of our country as we always have."

Addressing the NRIs in Toronto, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, "My mission is to turn scam India to skill India." He added: "My job is to ensure that India is cleaned up. It will take time to clean up the mess of the past."

On Wednesay, the Congress president gave a notice for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to discuss the "failure of institutional mechanism" in the country but it was rejected by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. However, Mahajan allowed the Congress chief to make statement.

Addressing the Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi attacked the Modi government for the lack of transparency in their way of functioning and said, "Government is setting out to systematically subvert the functioning of the RTI Act."

Sonia slammed the current government over not appointing a Chief Information Commissioner and said, "In a blatant U-turn, his (Modi) government, through absence of CIC has made sure that highest offices aren't accountable under RTI Act. During UPA, the post of CIC was never vacant in the past decade.

The Congress chief also added that the Whistleblowers Protection Act has not been granted Presidential assent, although the government has shown urgency to pass other bills.

"Government has shown a deplorable lack of interest in punishing people responsible for delays in public services. And Madam Speaker, information delayed is information denied. This is simply not acceptable. Govt must match its word of fighting corruption with their actions," Sonia added.



Blaming thee Prime Minister for running a one-man show at the Centre, Sonia alleged that all powers had been centered around the Prime Minister's Office with the other ministers having no real authority or control.

Sonia further hit out at Modi for criticising previous governments on foreign soil. "Abroad our country is being criticised and this has happened for the first time," said Sonia.

"Those who murdered Gandhiji are being praised," said Sonia taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government. She was referring to some BJP leaders who had in the past praised and lauded Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

"What do they deserve credit for? They deserve credit for the the most anti-farmer legislative amendments to our Land Acquisition Bill. They deserve credit for ignoring the severe plight of farmers throughout the country in a show of callous unconcern that has never been seen before," she said.

"They deserve credit for creating the most centralised government in India's recent history. Ministers hardly matter. Even the bureaucrats, who are supposedly empowered, feel paralysed because all key files are pending in the PMO for decision," she said.

"Friends, the challenge to us is very clear. We are faced with a government, which assaults everything precious that India and the Congress stands for...We must take the fight for and expose this government on its other sins of omission and commission."

Taking a jibe at Modi, she said the Prime Minister likes to talk of consensus.

"Yet ignoring convention, this government acts with obstinate arrogance. Such arrogance is also apparent when forcing its way in Parliament. Out of 51 bills, 43 have not been sent to the Standing Committee," she said.

The Congress President's remarks come at a time when there is a face off between the Government and the Opposition over referring the key GST bill to the Standing Committee.

Citing two examples, she said recently the government imposed AFSPA in Arunchal Pradesh "without even informing the Chief Minister" and they were earlier planning to go through the Bangladesh Land Agreement excluding Assam.

With both Sonia and Rahul on the attack, the Modi government can look forward to more months of being tag-teamed by the ma-beta opposition in Parliament.

"Gujarat has just passed a controversial anti-terror law (the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill) that gives draconian powers to the police. The new law puts the state government, its ministers and officials essentially beyond the purview of the legal process. Is this what the BJP government hopes to replicate in New Delhi.

"Let us remember terrorism has been effectively fought without such draconian laws. My fear is that such laws will be used to suppress the voice of the people. We are already seeing evidence of this," she said.

In the backdrop of some recent controversies over appointments of people with RSS leanings in some key bodies, Gandhi charged, "Government bodies are being populated by men and women whose sole qualification appears to be loyalty to the Prime Minister or to his patron organisations."

"This government deserves credit for redefining democracy. It is no longer of the people, by the people, for the people but a government of some people, by one person, for a select few."

"We can give the government credit for transforming our nation into a land where everyday we hear of places of worship of minorities being desecrated," she said.

The Congress President rued that the "stream of provocative statements" from members of the ruling establishment continue "unabated".

"Incendiary remarks are often uttered even by ministers against entire communities and institutions of our democracy. Some in the Sangh Parivar want to remove the voting rights of a community."

Attacking the government on its "achche din" slogan, Gandhi asked, "Let me ask, what is the reality of the achche din, the Prime Minister promised? Lower petrol prices? We all know they are because of falling international prices, over which they have no control and for which they deserve no credit."

She charged that behind the "smokescreen" of development, the government is providing 'achche din' only for "crony capitalists".

"Truly the hypocrisy and insensitivity of this government is breathtaking. The Prime Minister announces grandiose schemes to grab the headlines while the Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) denies adequate funds to them and starves critical programmes that benefit the poor and the weaker sections.

"At the same time, he announces a generous bonanza for the corporate sector: tax cuts amounting to nearly Rs 2,50,000 crore in the next four years," she said.

While maintaining that corporate sector must grow and enterprise must flourish to create jobs and national wealth, she said, "But this government appears to favour a limited set of corporate interests to the exclusion of almost everyone and everything else. India's future cannot be built on such unjust foundations."

Attacking the government on the budget, Gandhi said, "And we can give them credit for presenting a budget that attacks the heart of the welfare programmes that have sustained the needy and the disadvantaged for years."

Charging that outlays for most such programmes have been slashed and in some cases by more than half, she said, "Efforts are also being made to undermine the entire system of foodgrain procurement.

"Special status for all North Eastern states, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir has been done away with. Many states--even the BJP-ruled ones, have seen through the game and have protested," she said.

Gandhi said that as Modi government completes one year, it has very little to showcase and there is no substantial economic achievement.

"As per the Labour Bureau Survey report, released in April 2015, job creation has slowed down. As per the PIB, eight core sectors of the economy have registered negative growth. Investment in manufacturing is falling and exports have declined," she said.

Gandhi charged that under the pretext of 'Make in India', the government is planning to "dilute" the rights and interests of workers and labourers and questioned "Do they make nothing in India?

With agency inputs