Congress legislators lash out at Modi’s functioning

GANDHINAGAR - Congress legislators in Gujarat Tuesday lashed out against the “autocratic style” of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, noting it is “high time that the government maintains the standards of parliamentary democracy rather than acting as a platform for the fads and whims of an individual”.

A meeting, which began with a prayer for the speedy recovery of Speaker Ashok Bhatt, adopted five resolutions covering different aspects of governance in Gujarat right from deteriorating law and order situation to the blatant flouting of parliamentary norm of inviting local representatives in government functions, irrespective of their party affiliation.

Referring to the deteriorating law and order situation, the resolution pointed to the exposure of extortion racket which has landed Amit Shah, the former minister of state for home, in Sabarmati jail. “People are not safe as police, the protector, is playing tormentor”.

“A Dalit who tried to raise the issues of Dalits was badly injured by BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders at Vadodara. An activist who opposed the clandestine mining racket of people close to the chief minister, paid with his life,” a statement issued after the meeting said.

The meeting, which was chaired by Congress legislature party leader Shaktisinh Gohil in the presence of state Congress chief Siddhartha Patel, also charged the ruling BJP with flouting parliamentary democracy norms.

“A monsoon session for a mere two days is something unheard of. One of these two days will be for condolences and so there will be just a single day for transacting business. We demand a regular session,” the meeting resolved.

The meeting took serious exception to Modi turning government functions into a party platformand termed the ‘Garib Kalyan Melas’ a “great farce and insult to the poor”.

“People are made to beg for what they should get at their door step. Everything is being done in such a manner that it gives the impression as if the chief minister is distributing largesse of his own. Beneficiaries are made to wait for long, they have to listen to winding political speeches, merely to get what is theirs by right.”

The fifth resolution criticised the administration for ignoring elected representatives in government functions, noting Congress representatives are not invited and their names do not figure in invitations. On the other hand, even office bearers of BJP are given prominent position on the dais.

“This is in complete violation of government’s own circulars regarding who should be invited. Even the speaker has made it clear that all elected representatives should be invited irrespective of the party affiliation,” it said.