Kharge criticizes Modi govt in Rajya Sabha, asks - 'Is this amrit kaal or poison kaal?

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha alleged that the government talks of 'development for all' but it is developing only a few industrialists, the rich and some of its friends. He said that due to the policies of the government, the farmers and the unemployed are being forced to commit suicide.

“More than one lakh farmers have committed suicide across the country in the last 10 years”,he said.

Referring to the problems of various sections, Kharge questioned whether it is "Amrit Kaal or Vish Kaal?" He said that the government is selling public sector undertakings and handing them over to only one person. He alleged that the advertisements are designed in such a way that one person gets all the works.

Kharge also objected to a statement by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and said that the RSS chief had talked about the country getting independence after the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

He accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of insulting Babasaheb Ambedkar and demanded his resignation.

 Kharge alleged that the Home Minister had insulted Babasaheb in this House and he should apologize for it and resign from his post.

He said that the BJP often accuses the Congress of insulting Ambedkar, but in reality it is the BJP and the RSS that have been insulting Babasaheb. Quoting a letter written by Ambedkar, he said, "Baba Saheb wrote a letter to a friend in 1952 in which he said that in fact Dange and Savarkar had conspired to defeat him in the elections."

He said that there is nothing new in the President's address.He said that the promises made by the government turned out to be empty. In this sequence, he mentioned the 10 promises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called them Jumla.

He said that Prime Minister Modi has promised to bring black money from abroad, get Rs 15 lakh for everyone, give jobs to two crore people every year, clean Ganga river completely, double farmers' income by 2022, 50 days after demonetisation. But the prime minister has failed to fulfil all tose promises.

 Kharge said that at that time the value of the rupee was Rs 60 per dollar and the rupee is on ventilator under the Modi government as it has come down to Rs 87 now. He said that during the tenure of Manmohan Singh, the GDP growth rate was 7.8 percent which has fallen to only 5.8 percent.

He alleged that the current government is anti-Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes. He said that there are 35-40 lakh vacancies in the government sector and because of this, a large number of youths from the deprived sections are not getting jobs.

Kharge claimed that crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are increasing in the country and Dalits are not getting their rights.

He demanded that minimum support price (MSP) be given to farmers and increase in subsidy and said that the government should focus on fulfilling the promises made to farmers.

The Congress leader also referred to the violence in Manipur and questioned why Prime Minister Modi did not visit there. He said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi can go there but the Prime Minister is not going there. He alleged that the government does not want to end the conflict there.