Sonia Gandhi Criticizes Modi Government on Census, Economy, and National Security

New Delhi, India – Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticized the Modi government on Wednesday, claiming it has no intention to conduct the overdue Census since 2021. She stated that this failure prevents an accurate population estimate and denies over 12 crore citizens, especially from scheduled castes and tribes, benefits under the National Food Security Act.

Speaking at the CPP meeting in the national capital, Sonia Gandhi said, “It is clear that the Government has no intention whatsoever to conduct the Census that was last due in 2021. This will prevent us from having an up-to-date estimate of the population of the country, especially of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. It also means that at least 12 crore of our citizens are denied the benefit of the National Food Security Act of 2013 – now repackaged as PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.”

She expressed condolences to families affected by the Wayanad landslide and other natural disasters, stating, “Let me first of all extend our deepest condolences to the families bereaved by the horrendous calamity that has overtaken Wayanad. The scale of devastation has been staggering. Our colleagues in the state have mobilized themselves to provide all assistance. There have been huge floods in other parts of the country as well and we extend our sympathies to the affected families. Apart from natural disasters, our people continue to lose their lives in railway accidents that are caused by mismanagement. Our thoughts are with these victims as well.”

Regarding the 2024-25 budget, Sonia Gandhi criticized the Modi government’s handling of economic and social challenges, particularly concerning farmers and youth. She said, “Pressing demands of farmers and youth, in particular, have been ignored. Allocations in several vital sectors have not done justice to the tasks required to be fulfilled. There has been widespread disappointment, despite the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and others talking up the Budget and its so-called accomplishments. The Union Government, especially its top leadership, continues to be self-delusional as crores of families across the country are devastated by mounting unemployment and price rise.”

She also criticized the state of the education system under PM Modi’s government, claiming shortcomings in competitive exams have crushed the hopes of many young people and harmed the integrity of institutions like NCERT, UGC, and UPSC. “Education has been amongst the worst casualties in the past years. Instead of taking the nation forward, the entire educational system is being shown as flawed and manipulated. The exposure of how competitive examinations have been allowed has destroyed the faith of lakhs of youth and dealt their future a body blow. The professional character and autonomy of organizations like the NCERT, UGC and even of Constitutional bodies like the UPSC have been all but destroyed,” she said.

On national security, she stated that the deaths of security personnel and civilians in Jammu and Kashmir due to terror attacks make a mockery of the Modi government’s claims that all is well in the state. “There is deeply disturbing news in national security issues. Over the past few weeks, there have been at least eleven terror attacks in the Jammu region alone. There have been similar attacks in the Valley as well. Security personnel and a large number of civilians have lost their lives. This makes a mockery of the claims being made by the Modi Government that all is well in J and K. The situation in Manipur shows no sign of any improvement. The Prime Minister travels the world over, but steadfastly refuses to go to the state and take the initiative to bring about normalcy,” she said.

She concluded by emphasizing the need for unity and purpose in the upcoming state elections, stating, “In a few months, elections will be held in four states. We must sustain the momentum and goodwill that had been generated for us in the Lok Sabha elections. We must not become complacent and over-confident. The ‘mahaul’ does favour us, but we have to work unitedly with a sense of purpose. I dare say that if we perform well, reflecting the trend that we witnessed in the Lok Sabha elections, national politics will transform.”