New Delhi: The Congress party has issued a "black paper" condemning the Modi administration's last ten years as a time of “injustice" and bias against non-BJP ruled states. Titled '10 saal anyay kaal', the 54-page document was released by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, ahead of the government's 'white paper'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at the Congress for coming out with a "Black Paper" on the NDA government, calling it a "kaala teeka"(black dot) that will ward off the evil eye on the achievements of his government. The White Paper tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the alleged "economic mismanagement" by the previous UPA government and achievements of the 10 years of NDA rule.
Here are the key points in the 'black paper' released by the Congress party:
Economic Mismanagement: BJP's accusations of economic mismanagement before 2014 are countered with Congress's claims of ongoing economic issues, including high prices and joblessness.
Discrimination and Injustice: The 'black paper' alleges a decade of injustice, particularly highlighting discrimination towards states not governed by the BJP.
North-South Divide: Divisions fostered by the BJP were highlighted with references to Modi's past statements regarding Gujarat's tax contributions and rights. "Modi ji, when you were the chief minister of Gujarat, you used to talk about the tax rights of Gujarat with the UPA government. Then you said that states should get 50 per cent tax. You also said that people of Gujarat pay Rs 48,600 crore tax and get only 2.5 per cent back," Kharge said.
The Congress argued that non-BJP ruled states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh were being discriminated against and neglected. “They (Centre) don't release funds and then say we have released the funds but it was not spent,” Kharge said.
Concerns Over Democracy: Congress leader Kharge expresses alarm about the state of Indian democracy and accuses the BJP of undemocratically toppling duly elected state governments.
Kharge also alleged that the Modi government was "extorting" money through the route of electoral bonds. "They are using this money to finish democracy. They made 411 MLAs cross over to their side. We had elected governments in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Uttarkhand. You know how governments were made to fall," he said.
Farmers' Distress: The document also emphasizes the plight of farmers, the absence of a caste-based census, and perceived injustices towards women. “It was Modi's guarantee to provide two crore jobs every year and ensure MSP to farmers. Now the prime minister should say he could not do it. Instead he has come up with new guarantees,” Kharge said.
Economic and Social Policies: The black paper decries various policies, including the demonetization initiative of 2016 and claims continued adverse impacts on the Indian economy.
Pledge to rescue India in 2024: Looking ahead to the next general elections, the Congress party promises to liberate India from the "darkness of injustice" imposed by the BJP government and restore economic and social balance.
Cong slams Modi for hiding failures
"Whenever PM (Narendra) Modi presents his views in Parliament, he hides his failures. At the same time, when we speak about the failures of the government, it is not given importance. Therefore, we thought of bringing out a black paper and tell the public about the failures of the government," Kharge, who was flanked by party leaders Pawan Khera and Syed Naseer Hussain, said at a press conference at his residence here.
With the hashtag '10 saal anyay kaal', Rahul Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, "Filled friend's coffers with country's wealth and the youth only got the 'disease of unemployment'."
In a sharp attack at Prime Minister Modi over his claim that the Congress was creating a narrative to divide the country into north and south, Kharge said those who falsely accuse others of dividing the country and of regionalism, "those liars" do not even remember what they said.
Sharing a link to the black paper, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh recalled that on January 4, 2014, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made two far reaching statements that are most relevant today.
"It encapsulates the Black Paper...Dr Manmohan Singh said: 1. History will be kinder to me. 2. It will be disastrous for the country to have Shri Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister. Both statements have been proved right today."
