Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP over the ongoing row over NEET and arrests of Opposition leaders, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said the arrogance of the saffron party was broken after the results of 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha, the leader of opposition (LoP) in the Upper House hit out at the Prime Minister and the BJP saying that “They used to call the Gamandiya alliance, they used to say if there is Modi, anything is possible. But the arrogance of BJP was broken after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”
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Attacking the NDA government over the NEET issue, Kharge said thousands of NEET aspirants were affected by the paper leak.
The leader of opposition (LoP) in the upper house said the government initially denied any paper leak then later they clarified and accepted that irregularities happened. The LoP also urged scrapping the Agnipath scheme.
“President has said we will work together. But the words have been confined to just speech and not in action,” Kharge said.
The Congress president also criticised the government over arrests of opposition leaders and alleged misuse of central agencies, including the Directorate of Enforcement and the Central Bureau of Investigation in an attempt to “silence the opposition.”
“This election witnessed that a major issue was protecting the Constitution. The BJP said it will amend the Constitution. But the election proved that issues keep coming and going, but the Constitution will thrive, democracy will survive, elections will keep happening and we will also be here,” Kharge said.
“The common people supported the opposition in this fight. They took a major step towards protecting the Constitution,” he added.
Kharge also questioned the relocation of statues of national leaders in the Parliament House complex.
“There was no meeting or prior consultation. It was done as though in authoritarian rule,” he said.
Kharge urged for discussion with the committee that includes the LoP, members, and the House Chairman.
However, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said it has been done properly and methodically and there should not be criticism for the sake of criticism. He also urged members to visit the new location.
