Sonia & Rahul Gandhi Blame BJP Govt for ‘Grim’ State of Economy

While Rahul Gandhi asserted the need for a concrete plan, Sonia Gandhi accused the BJP for misusing its mandate.

Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi expressed concern over the ‘grim’ economic situation in the country. 

(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday, 12 September, expressed concern over the country’s ‘grim’ economic situation and accused the BJP government of propaganda and misusing its mandate in the “most dangerous” manner.

While Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to state his views, interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s remarks came while she was chairing a meeting of top party leaders from across the country in order to finalise plans for Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations.

Concrete Plan Needed: Rahul Gandhi

Attacking the Modi government over the state of the economy, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that India doesn’t need “foolish theories about millennials” but a concrete plan to fix the economy.

Gandhi’s tweet comes two days after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman blamed the millennial mindset for choosing taxi aggregators like Ola or Uber for the slump in the automobile sector.

Gandhi, in his tweet, also linked an interview of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh where he had suggested various methods which might help to tackle the economic slowdown the country is facing.

BJP Misusing Mandate in ‘Dangerous’ Manner: Sonia Gandhi

Sources to news agency PTI said, Gandhi, while addressing Congress leaders at a meeting at the party headquarters, asserted that the BJP government is testing the resolve and resilience of the Congress, which must now embark on an agitational agenda to reach out to the masses and expose the BJP.

She noted that democracy is under threat while the Modi government reigns, and alleged that it is misusing and abusing its mandate in the “most dangerous” fashion, the sources said.

The meeting was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC general secretaries and incharges of various states, state government chiefs and Congress’ Legislative Party leaders, among others.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was not present for the meeting.

“The Congress party must have an agitational agenda. Our resolve on resilience is being tested now,” she was quoted as saying by the sources to PTI.

Sonia Gandhi stated her concern for the current economic situation of the country, and said losses are mounting and the confidence of people has been shaken.

All that the government is indulging in is “unprecedented vendetta politics” to divert attention from the mounting losses on the economic front, she said.

According to PTI, the interim Congress president, sources said, accused the government of appropriating the legacy of freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and BR Ambedkar.

The BJP is “misrepresenting” their true messages to further its “nefarious agenda”, she said.

During the meeting, former Prime Minister Singh talked about the poor state of the economy.

“We are in the midst of dangerously protracted slowdown and the economy is going from bad to worse,” he was quoted as saying by sources to PTI.

Singh said the government is not realising the same and the employment sector can become worse.

While Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy were present at the meeting, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel were not.

Kamal Nath is battling infighting in the MP Congress. Party General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia was, however, present at the meeting.

Among the other leaders present were Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, A K Antony, K C Venugopal, Mallilkarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

(With Inputs from PTI)