Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday strongly criticized the Narendra Modi-led government, alleging that the 12 years of BJP rule exposed the hollowness of the Centre’s claims regarding law and order, women’s safety and social justice. He cited the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data as evidence of a deepening social crisis in the country.
In a post on social media platform X, Kharge argued that the government’s narrative of strong governance was contradicted by official data showing a sharp rise in crimes against vulnerable communities and increasing suicides among economically distressed sections. “Twelve years of the Modi government have exposed the hollowness of its claims on ‘law and order’ and ‘women’s safety,’ bringing the truth before the nation,” Kharge said.
Referring to NCRB figures since 2013, the Congress chief claimed that crimes against women had risen by 42.6 per cent, crimes against children by 204.6 per cent, atrocities against Dalits by 41.3 per cent, and crimes against Adivasis by 46.7 per cent. He also alleged that cybercrime had surged by 1,689 per cent during the same period.
He drew attention to suicides linked to economic hardship and social distress, claiming that 10,546 farmers, 52,931 daily wage labourers and 14,488 students died by suicide in 2024 alone. According to him, these figures reflected “deep-rooted despair” among large sections of the population despite the government’s repeated assertions about economic progress and welfare expansion.
The Congress has sharpened its criticism of the BJP-led Centre in recent months over issues such as unemployment, inflation, agrarian distress and social tensions, seeking to build a broader political narrative around what it describes as governance failures under the Modi administration. The opposition party has repeatedly relied on NCRB data and other official statistics to argue that insecurity and economic vulnerability continue to affect marginalised communities.
The BJP, however, has consistently defended its governance record, highlighting reforms and welfare measures aimed at women’s empowerment, social justice, rural development and cybersecurity. The ruling party has also pointed to stricter legal provisions for crimes against women, welfare initiatives for weaker sections and technological improvements in policing infrastructure as indicators of its commitment to public safety and inclusive governance.
Kharge’s remarks came amid intensifying political confrontation between the opposition and the ruling alliance over issues of unemployment, internal security and social justice, with both sides seeking to shape the national discourse ahead of key political and parliamentary engagements later this year.