'Assault on Constitution': From NEET to Emergency remarks, Sonia Gandhi slams PM Modi

'Assault on Constitution': From NEET to Emergency remarks, Sonia Gandhi slams PM Modi

Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government on various issues including NEET and Emergency remarks.

"The Prime Minister continues as if nothing has changed. He preaches the value of consensus but continues to value confrontation," the Rajya Sabha MP said," Sonia Gandhi in an editorial column for the Hindu.

"The first few days of the 18th Lok Sabha have sadly been far from encouraging. Any hope that we might see a changed attitude has been dashed," she added.

"The Prime Minister who does his 'Pariksha pe Charcha' has been conspicuously silent on the leaks that have devastated so many families across the country," she said, highlighting the NEET paper leak issue.

Sonia Gandhi said the Lok Sabha poll verdict has signalled a "personal, political and moral defeat" for PM Modi but "he is continuing as if nothing has changed".

She said that when the prime minister's "emissaries sought unanimity for the post of Speaker", the opposition INDIA bloc agreed to support the government. "But in keeping with convention and tradition, it was only fair and to be expected that the post of deputy speaker would be given to a member from the ranks of the opposition," Gandhi said.

But this "perfectly reasonable request" was found unacceptable by the government, she said, adding the opposition alliance is committed to restoring balance and productivity in Parliament. "On June 4, 2024, the verdict of our country's electorate was delivered clearly and resoundingly. It signalled a personal, political, and moral defeat for a prime minister who had awarded himself a divine status during the campaign," the Congress leader said.

She also talked about the mention of the Emergency by the prime minister, the Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP leaders, describing it as an "assault on the Constitution".

(With inputs from agencies)