Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi slammed the Centre’s National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) programme on Saturday, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s single-point agenda of “Becho, Becho, Becho” is jeopardising the country’s social goals. The party chief remarked at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), that the economy continues to be a source of considerable concern “despite government propaganda to the contrary.”

“As we all know, the government’s only response for economic recovery appears to be selling off national assets that have been established over decades with considerable effort. The public sector has had social aspirations as well as strategic and economic purposes, such as the empowerment of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and the development of backward areas. All of this, however, is jeopardised by the Modi administration’s single-point programme of Becho, Becho, Becho” she stated.

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“Further criticising the government for rising inflation, she said, “the cost of critical necessities, such as food and petrol, continues to rise unchecked. Could anyone in the country envisage petrol prices exceeding 100 rupees per litre, diesel prices approaching 100 rupees per litre, a gas cylinder costing 900 rupees, and cooking oil costing 200 rupees per litre? People all around the country are finding life miserable as a result of this.”

In recent days, there has been an uptick in killings in Jammu and Kashmir, Gandhi remarked. “Minorities have been plainly targeted,” she said, and added, this must be condemned in the strongest terms imaginable.”

“We’ve done it before, and I’m doing it again this morning. For the past two years, Jammu and Kashmir has been a Union Territory. The Union government bears sole responsibility for bringing the perpetrators of these heinous atrocities to justice. The Modi government is also responsible for restoring social peace, harmony, and confidence among the people of Jammu & Kashmir “she continued.

The Congress president also chastised the administration for its response to farmer protests. “We’re convening against the backdrop of ongoing farmer and farmer-organization agitation. The ‘teen kaale kanoon’ have been rammed through Parliament for over a year. We tried everything we could to get them scrutinised by the legislature, but the Modi government was dead set on getting them passed so that a few private corporations could profit “Gandhi remarked.

“Farmers started protesting right away, and they’ve suffered a lot since then. The recent tragic episodes in Lakhimpur-Kheri reveal the BJP’s mindset, how it views the Kisan Andolan, and how it has dealt with Kisans’ relentless effort to safeguard their lives and livelihoods “she continued.

The Congressman praised the Center’s decision to amend its vaccine procurement strategy, describing it as a rare instance in which “states were truly heard.”

“Since we last met, the Government of India has changed its vaccine procurement policy. This has been done in response to the demands of the states. This was one of those rare occasions when the states were actually heard and the country benefitted. Even so, cooperative federalism remains only a slogan and the Centre loses no opportunity to put non-BJP states at a disadvantage,” she added.

(With ANI inputs)