New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi lashed out at the government on Wednesday for “stubbornly” refusing to allow a discussion on the India-China border issue in Parliament, and said its silence on matters of serious concern has become its defining feature. Addressing party MPs at the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Central Hall of Parliament, she also accused the government of delegitimising the judiciary and termed it as a “troubling new development”. She asked: “Why is China emboldened to continually attack us? What preparations have been made to repel these attacks, and what more needs to be done? What is the government’s policy to deter China from future incursions? Given that we continue to have a severe trade deficit with China, importing far more than we export, why is there no economic response to China’s military hostility? What is the government’s diplomatic outreach to the global community?”
Noting that a frank discussion strengthens the nation's response, Mrs Gandhi said it was the duty of the government of the day to inform the public and explain its policies and actions. “This refusal to allow a parliamentary debate on such a matter of grave national concern… shows disrespect for our democracy, and reflects poorly on the government’s intentions. It demonstrates its inability to bring the nation together. On the contrary, by following divisive policies, by spreading hatred and targeting some sections of our society, the government makes it harder for the country to stand up as one against foreign threats.”
She further added: “The government is also actively engaged in targeting the Opposition and any questioning voices, manipulating the media and undermining the institutions which stand in their way. This is happening not only in the Centre, but also in every state where the ruling party governs.”
Mrs Sonia Gandhi also accused the government of making an effort to reduce the standing of the judiciary in the eyes of the public. “A troubling new development is the calculated attempt underway to delegitimise the judiciary. Ministers, and even a high constitutional authority, have been enlisted to making speeches attacking the judiciary on various grounds. It is quite clear that this is not an effort to provide reasonable suggestions for improvement. Rather, it is an effort to reduce the standing of the judiciary in the eyes of the public,” the former Congress chief also said.
