logo
Mallikarjun Kharge slams 11-year Modi govt for ‘damaging' democracy and economy

Mallikarjun Kharge slams 11-year Modi govt for ‘damaging' democracy and economy

Hindustan Times3 days ago

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, accusing it of inflicting 'deep blow' to Indian democracy, economy, and the country's social fabric.
Kharge alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) weakened constitutional institutions and undermined federalism.
'In the last 11 years, the Modi government has caused a deep blow to Indian democracy, economy and social fabric. The BJP-RSS has weakened every Constitutional institution and attacked their autonomy. Whether it is stealing public opinion and toppling governments through the back door, or forcibly imposing a one-party dictatorship. During this period, the rights of the states have been ignored and the federal structure has weakened,' Kharge wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
As the BJP marked 11 years of governance at the Centre, PM Modi highlighted the achievements of his government, crediting it with people-centric, inclusive progress. 'From economic growth to social upliftment, the focus has been on people-centric, inclusive and all-round progress. India today is not just the fastest-growing major economy, but also a key global voice on pressing issues like climate action and digital innovation,' he said.
Union home minister Amit Shah echoed similar sentiments, calling the last 11 years a 'golden period' of public service. 'In Modi 3.0, New India is rapidly progressing towards development and self-reliance with the power of reform, perform and transform. This journey of making India number 1 in every field by bringing positive changes in the lives of the countrymen will continue like this,' Shah said.
Countering the government's narrative, Kharge pointed to what he called a rise in hate and fear in society, citing the prolonged violence in Manipur. 'Efforts are constantly being made to spread an environment of hatred, threats and fear in the society. The exploitation of Dalits, tribals, backwards classes, minorities and weaker sections has increased continuously. The conspiracy to deprive them of reservation and equal rights continues,' he said.
Kharge also criticised the government's economic policies. 'The BJP-RSS has made the country's GDP growth rate habitual of 5-6%, which used to be 8% on average during the UPA. Instead of the promise of 2 crore jobs annually, crores of jobs were snatched away from the youth. Due to inflation, public savings have become the lowest in 50 years and economic inequality has become the highest in 100 years,' he said.
'Make in India, Startup India, Stand up India, Digital India, Namami Gange, 100 SMART Cities, all have failed. Railways have been ruined. Only the ribbons of the infrastructure, painstakingly built by Congress-UPA, have been cut,' Kharge claimed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

SC junks Pakistani Christian's plea for citizenship ignoring CAA cut-off
SC junks Pakistani Christian's plea for citizenship ignoring CAA cut-off

Time of India

time16 minutes ago

  • Time of India

SC junks Pakistani Christian's plea for citizenship ignoring CAA cut-off

Supreme Court NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain the plea of a Goa-born Pakistani Catholic man, who sought a direction to the Centre to allow him citizenship under Citizenship Amendment Act , 2019 citing religious persecution in Pakistan even though he arrived in India six years after the Jan 2014 cutoff date. Jude Mendes, who was born in Goa to a Pakistani national in 1987 but completed his studies at Karachi in Pakistan, arrived in India in 2016 on a long-term visa which has been extended till June this year and even got his Aadhaar card made in 2020. He married an Indian woman in February this year. Three days after the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists by Pak-backed terrorists, India on April 25 cancelled all kinds of visas given to Pakistani nationals. However, long term visas, which Mendes has, have not been revoked. Mendes' visa expires on June 20. Advocate Raghav Awasthi told a partial working day bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan that "the Petitioner is born in India and is a Roman Catholic which being a minority community is heavily persecuted in Pakistan. He cannot travel to Pakistan to renew his passport which is expiring on 20.06.2025 due to the threat to his life and that therefore, he ought to be granted extension of his long-term visa. " The petitioner said in the event of his deportation to Pakistan, the petitioner who was born in India and now lawfully married to an Indian citizen, would face imminent threat to his life because of extreme religious persecution in Pakistan. At present he works as a chef in Goa. But the bench said that he would have to move the Bombay HC for the relief he is seeking. The petitioner's lawyer withdrew the plea to move the HC. Under CAA, India had resolved to grant citizenship to those individuals from minority communities who have been persecuted in neighbouring countries on the ground of religion. However, the law stipulated that they should have entered India prior to Jan 1, 2014.

How Manusmriti Will Guide DU Students
How Manusmriti Will Guide DU Students

Time of India

time22 minutes ago

  • Time of India

How Manusmriti Will Guide DU Students

New Delhi: Students in Delhi University will now be taught how the varna or caste system organises society, how marriage helps build a "civilised" social order, and how morals regulate individual behaviour. These lessons form the core of a new Sanskrit course titled Dharmashastra Studies, which has Manusmriti as a primary text. Manusmriti, whose proposal for inclusion in the law and history honours syllabus was earlier held back by the administration amid backlash, has made a comeback, this time as essential reading in this discipline-specific course. Alongside it, other Hindu religious texts that had drawn similar objections, such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas, have also been included in this course. The paper, introduced as a core course under the discipline in the current academic session, carries four credits and is open to undergraduate students with working knowledge of Sanskrit. DSC or Discipline Specific Core refers to courses within a student's chosen field of study that are mandatory for their programme. According to the stated objective of the course, "Ancient Indian society, in terms of whole and its parts, has been depicted in the texts compiled in Sanskrit known as 'Dharmashastra'. The 'Dharmashastra Studies' course aims to make students acquainted with the rich tradition of Indian Social, Political, Economical, Legal thoughts." Regarding the learning outcomes for the course, DU says that "students will know that Indians were not anarchic, they evolved well-structured society where normative institutions were established. They will understand the real meaning of the term 'Dharma'. Students will find the great aim for the life of an individual. They will be acquainted with Indian methods of regularising Society." The course is divided into four units. Unit I, titled "Concept of Dharma", covers how society was structured through normative institutions in ancient India. It will explore "Dharma as a normative and ethical element" and includes a survey of key texts such as the Sutra and Smriti literature, commentaries, the Kautilya Arthashastra, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. Unit II delves into the content of Dharmashastra, which is categorised into Achara, Vyavahara and Prayashchitta. The unit introduces students to the concept of Achara or behavioural codes — focusing on how the varna and ashrama systems organise society and individual life, how marriage and education contributed to a "civilised" order, and how practices like yajna and daana helped build social cohesion. Unit III is focused on Vyavahara and polity. It explains the ancient Indian legal system, including types of disputes, civil and criminal law, courts and evidence procedures. It also discusses governance structures such as monarchies, qualifications of rulers and ministers, and political theories like the Mandala theory and Shadgunya. Unit IV covers Prayashchitta, or penance. It includes lessons on different types of sins and prescribed penances like fasting, donation (daana), ritual sacrifices (yajna), pilgrimages, and post-death rites like shraddha. Primary readings for the course include texts such as Apastamba Dharmasutra, Boudhayana Dharmasutra, Vashistha Dharmasutra, Manusmriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Narada Smriti, and the Kautilya Arthashastra. This canon of ancient Hindu religious and philosophical texts — particularly the Manusmriti — has long been the subject of academic and public debate for its social prescriptions, especially concerning caste and gender. Last year in July, Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh rejected the proposal to include Manusmriti and Baburnama (Memoirs of Babur) in the university's history curriculum. The university also stated that no such proposals will be entertained in the future. TOI reached out to Om Nath Bimali, head of the department of Sanskrit, to seek his comment on the inclusion of Manusmriti but did not receive any response. A request seeking vice-chancellor Singh's reaction also did not elicit any response.

Doubts arise over completing caste census afresh in 90 days
Doubts arise over completing caste census afresh in 90 days

Time of India

time22 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Doubts arise over completing caste census afresh in 90 days

Bengaluru: Doubts have arisen over whether the govt will be able to complete the exhaustive socio-economic and education survey — or the caste census — within the 90-day time frame set by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Since the survey ran into stiff resistance from several communities, especially Lingayats and Vokkaligas, the Congress high command on Tuesday directed the govt to conduct the survey afresh. However, while many legislators say a re-enumeration within this time frame is an impossibility, ministers insist the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (BC) can complete the survey if it is a "shortened" version of the original. The original survey took two years to complete. BK Hariprasad, MLC and former AICC general secretary, accused the govt of "giving in" to those who claimed there were lapses in the original survey conducted 10 years ago. "These lapses cannot be called unscientific data collection," said Hariprasad. "The govt, in its fresh terms of reference, will have to provide reasons for what is considered unscientific and how it will be addressed in the fresh re-enumeration." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like "내장지방만 쏙 빠집니다!" 신현재, 복부 똥뱃살 순식간에 녹여 신현재 중년 복부비만 개선 더 알아보기 Undo He said re-enumeration cannot stop at only collecting population numbers but will have to go through the process of asking citizens all 52 questions again. "This process will definitely stretch beyond 90 days," he said. However, Siddaramaiah hinted that the govt would likely opt for a shortened survey. "It will only be a re-enumeration. In principle, the govt has accepted the original socio-economic and education survey report and will proceed with it after fresh data emerges," he said. Labour Minister Santosh Lad said he is "confident" the survey will be completed in 90 days. "We already have a large database. Enumerators will not have to visit all houses again," said Lad. "They need to visit only places or houses that need corrections or additions to the existing database. All these will be explained in the terms of reference." He said the terms of reference will be decided at Thursday's special cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, former backward classes commission chairmen, HR Kantharaju, who prepared the 2015 survey report, and Jayaprakash Hegde, who submitted a revised version of the report to the govt in 2024, said they can comment on the possibility of completing the survey in a short time only after the cabinet decides how the re-enumeration will be conducted.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store