india

Updated: Dec 17, 2019 02:46 IST

Congress president Sonia Gandhi dubbed the Narendra Modi government as a symbol of violence and division and said that instead of upholding the rule of law, the present BJP government is “at war with its own people.” She also announced that assault on students—harbinger of change—will prove to be the beginning of the end of Modi government.

In a statement a day after the student protests swept across the country, the Congress president said, “Modi government’s intent is clear – destabilise the entire society, incite violence, snatch the rights of the young, create an atmosphere of communal disharmony and use all of these for parochial political gains. The architects of this conspiracy are none less than Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah.”

She also alleged that during the current regime, the country has reached “an unfathomable depth of hate” and the government has “destroyed and decimated” the future of India’s youth. “When those sitting in echelons of power foment violence, attack the Constitution, mercilessly beat up India’s youth and flagrantly violate the law, then how will the country be governed democratically and constitutionally?” she asked.

Gandhi returned to the top post of the Congress in August after her son, Rahul Gandhi stood firm in his decision to quit the post in the wake of the Congress’ debacle in the general elections.

“Let PM Modi understand that the rising Youth Power – Student Power is always harbinger of a new change. The circle of suppression and subjugation unleashed by BJP’s arrogance executed through the instrument of police brutalities against the youth and the students will prove to be the beginning of the end of Modi government,” she said, underlining how Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya are marred by cycles of violence.

“Students have taken to massive agitations across the country. A surging wave of street protests by the youth and the students has spread across India against the atrocities of BJP government, rampant unemployment, unprecedented fee hike, encroachment on their freedom and a sinister conspiracy to decimate the Constitution,” she said.

Gandhi maintained that Modi government and its ministers are busy in “malicious propaganda” to label India’s youth as naxals, separatists and anti-national. “The reason is clear - Modi government’s utter failure to govern. Inflation has reached unprecedented high levels, unchecked unemployment faces the young at every step, economy is in virtual shut down mode, education system is in doldrums and the common man is plagued by all round poverty.”

“Facing total failure on every front, Modi government seeks to divert attention by creating communal disharmony, instigating violence and creating societal disruptions. Citizen Amendment Act to NRC, all these are but cogs in the wheel of this divisive conspiracy.” she added.