Sonia Gandi has criticised the Central Government for dismissing the government of Arunachal Pradesh, stating the government's anti-poor and anti-farmer inclinations can be detrimental.
Terming the Narendra Modi-led government as anti-poor and anti-farmer, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on Thursday that the Centre has destroyed the very spirit of the Constitution by dismissing the elected government in Arunachal Pradesh and insulting the people's mandate. She also lauded the Supreme Court for protecting the Constitution by restoring the elected Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh.
Sonia was addressing a public rally in Nanded after inaugurating the Late Shankarrao Chavan Memorial and unveiling a statue of former Union home minister and Maharashtra chief minister the Late Shankarrao Chavan.
Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh presided over the function.
Chavan's son and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan, his wife MLA Amita Chavan, AICC in-charge for Maharashtra Mohan Prakash, former Union home ministers Shivraj Patil and Sushilkumar Shinde, former state chief ministers Narayan Rane and Prithviraj Chavan, and Vaishali Deshmukh, wife of the Late Vilasrao Deshmukh, were also present.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Sharad Ranpise, Manikrao Thakare, Patangrao Kadam, Harshawardhan Patil were also present.
Alleging that the Modi Government is bringing to an end all the welfare schemes started by UPA government, Sonia said that, on one hand, farmers were facing the worst-ever drought and, on the other hand, the government is destroying the cooperatives started for the benefit of farmers and the farm sector.
She said that after 60 years of effort, the Congress had created democratic institutions for the welfare of farmers through a cooperative network, and the Modi government was weakening the sector. This was not acceptable to the Congress and it would oppose the same, she added.
Terming the leadership of Shankarrao Chavan as one that grew right from students' movements to the position of the Union home minister, Gandhi said that his discipline had earned him the nickname of 'Headmaster'. She said that his honesty and discipline, coupled with his dedication to duty, made him the trusted man of Indira Gandhi as well as Rajiv Gandhi.
Recalling the contribution of Shankarrao Chavan towards creating irrigation facilities in the Marathwada region, Sonia said that he introduced legislation to prevent rich landlords from snatching away the land of the poorer sections of society, especially tribals and farm labourers.
Sonia also said that the present government is waiving loans worth thousands of crores for rich capitalists and implementing policies that are anti-poor, including the weaker sections of women and children.
Manmohan Singh, recalling that he was proud to be a colleague of then home minister Shankarrao Chavan during his tenure as finance minister, said that Chavan always used to think of the larger public interest when he worked with him in the planning commission. Singh said that it is a befitting tribute to Shankarrao Chavan that Congress workers are working towards bringing back glory for the party in Maharashtra and at the national level.
The mayor of Nanded city and Congress leader Shailaja Swami was not on the dais. Due to overcrowding, she had to sit in the section meant for the press. Bhaskarrao Patil-Khatgavkar, who is a former minister and former MP as well as the son-in-law of Shankarrao Chavan, was also in the press section due to overcrowding. Khatgavkar had deserted Congress and joined the BJP in the recent past.
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