Sonia: Govt avoiding discussion on border standoff with China

New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Centre of refusing to allow a discussion in Parliament on the border situation.

While addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) in the Central Hall of the Parliament, the Congress president said that the party is firm in "our commitment to stand by the farmers in their demands for a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price, remunerative prices that meet the costs of cultivation, and compensation to the bereaved families."

On the issue of rise in prices of essential commodities, Gandhi said, "I cannot understand how and why the Modi government is so insensitive and continues to deny the seriousness of the problem. It seems impervious to the suffering of the people.

"The steps it has recently taken to reduce petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices are totally insufficient and inadequate. As usual, the government has passed on the responsibility for duty cuts to financially-strapped state governments when it itself has far greater room for action. And all this while, the Centre persists with huge public expenditure on vainglorious projects," she said.

The Congress chief also raised the issue of suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, terming the move as "outrageous", and said that it is unprecedented that they have been suspended for the remaining period of the Winter session. "It violates both the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States, as Mallikarjun Kharge ji has explained in his letter to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha," she said, adding that they all stand in solidarity with them.

Congress MPs of both houses of Parliament and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi were present during the meeting in the central hall of Parliament. The Congress president said that it was extraordinary that Parliament has not been given an opportunity so far to have a discussion on the challenges the country continues to face on its borders.

"Such a discussion would have also been an opportunity to demonstrate a collective will and resolve. The government may not want to answer difficult questions but it is the right and duty of the Opposition to seek clarifications and explanations," she said.

"The Modi government steadfastly refuses to allocate time for a debate. I would once again urge for a full-fledged discussion on the border situation and relations with our neighbours," Gandhi said.

Saluting the farmers for their achievement, Gandhi remembered the sacrifice of over 700 farmers in the past 12 months and called for honouring their sacrifice. "We are firm in our commitment to stand by the farmers in their demands for a legally guaranteed MSP, remunerative prices that meet the costs of cultivation, and compensation to the bereaved families," she said. On the Covid situation, she said, the sad reality is that the country is nowhere close to reaching the level of double-dose vaccination announced by the Government for the end of the year.

Efforts must clearly be intensified and the daily vaccination dose has to increase four-fold so that 60 per cent of the population is covered with both doses, she said, hoping that the government has learnt a lesson from the previous waves of Covid-19 and is preparing itself to deal effectively with the

new variant.