"Modi Government's Single-Point Agenda Sell, Sell, Sell": Sonia Gandhi

Slamming Centre's National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) scheme, interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said the country's social goals are in jeopardy because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's single-point agenda of "Becho, Becho, Becho" (sell, sell, sell).

Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, the party chief said, the economy continues to be a cause of great concern "in spite of the government propaganda to make us believe that it is not."

"As we all know, the only answer the government seems to have for economic recovery is selling off national assets built with great effort over the decades. The public sector has had not just strategic and economic objectives - it has had social goals as well, as, for instance, empowerment of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and development of backward areas. But all this is in jeopardy with the Modi government's single-point agenda of Becho, Becho, Becho," she said.

Further slamming the government over the rising inflation, she said, "prices of essential commodities - food and fuel included - continue to rise unabated. Could anyone in the country ever imagine that petrol prices would be over 100 rupees a litre, diesel would be nearing the 100 rupees a litre mark, a gas cylinder would cost 900 rupees and cooking oil would be 200 rupees a litre? This is making life unbearable for people across the country."

Mrs Gandhi noted that in recent days, there has been a sudden spurt in killings in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Minorities clearly have been targeted," she said, and added, "this must be condemned in the strongest possible terms."

"We have done so and I do so again this morning. Jammu and Kashmir has been a Union Territory for two years. The entire responsibility for bringing the perpetrators of these barbaric crimes to justice is that of the Union government. Restoring social peace and harmony and confidence amongst the people in Jammu and Kashmir rests with the Modi government too," she added.

The Congress president also condemned the Central government over its stance on farmers' protest.

"We are meeting in the background of the continuing agitation by farmers and farmers' organisations. It has been over a year since the ''teen kaale kanoon'' were bulldozed through Parliament. We had done our best to have them subjected to legislative scrutiny but the Modi government was hell-bent on getting them passed so that a few private companies could benefit," said Mrs Gandhi.

"Farmers began their protests immediately and have suffered much since then. The shocking incidents at Lakhimpur-Kheri recently betrays the mindset of the BJP, how it perceives the Kisan Andolan, how it has been dealing with this determined struggle by Kisans to protect their lives and livelihoods," she added.

The Congress chief appreciated the change in Centre's vaccine procurement policy, and called it a rare occasion when "states were actually heard."

"Since we last met, the Government of India has changed its vaccine procurement policy. This has been done in response to the demands of the states. This was one of those rare occasions when the states were actually heard and the country benefitted. Even so, cooperative federalism remains only a slogan and the Centre loses no opportunity to put non-BJP states at a disadvantage," she added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)