Sonia Gandhi Condemns Waqf Bill as an Attack on the Constitution
Click to start listening
Synopsis
Sonia Gandhi critiques the Waqf (Amendment) Bill's passage in Parliament, branding it a blatant attack on the Constitution. She urges Congress members to be aggressive in confronting the BJP's governance failures while emphasizing the importance of safeguarding citizens' rights.
Key Takeaways
- Sonia Gandhi criticizes the Waqf Bill as an assault on the Constitution.
- She calls for a combative stance against the BJP-led NDA government.
- Concerns raised over the One Nation, One Election Bill as a constitutional subversion.
- Alarm over the lack of women's reservation implementation.
- Direct accusations against the Modi government for diluting landmark laws.
New Delhi, April 3 (NationPress) Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in her initial response to the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, labeled it a blatant attack on the Constitution and urged party members to adopt a forceful and combative approach in highlighting the shortcomings of the BJP-led NDA government.
Sonia, speaking at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting in Central Hall this morning, stated that the Waqf bill was pushed through Parliament with little regard for due process.
“This Bill represents a blatant attack on our Constitution. It is a key part of the BJP’s intentional strategy to maintain a state of permanent division within our society,” she asserted during the CPP General Body meeting.
The CPP chair also expressed serious concerns regarding the One Nation, One Election Bill (ONOE), describing it as yet another instance of subverting the Constitution.
“The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed by both Houses two years ago but is still deliberately ignored when it comes to reserving one-third of seats for women from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and OBC communities,” she emphasized.
Pointing directly at the Modi government, she remarked that four significant laws initiated during the UPA government—namely the RTI, MNREGA, Forest Rights Act, and the Land Acquisition Act—are being systematically weakened by the current regime. She further noted that the National Food Security Act, enacted in 2013, ensures food security for over 80 crore individuals, yet another 14 crore remain deprived of their legal rights due to the Centre's failure to conduct the Census.
She urged Congress members to remain vigilant against the Modi government’s overt attempts to appropriate their policies and rebrand them as its own.
“The Modi government is leading the country towards a situation where the Constitution will exist only on paper. It is crucial for all of us to continue fighting for what is just and right and to expose the government’s failures and its aspiration to transform India into a surveillance state,” the former Congress President stated.
“The Prime Minister has rebranded, repackaged, and marketed many initiatives from 2004-2014 as his personal achievements. This also needs to be revealed through our public outreach efforts,” she added.
Sonia highlighted that BJP MPs are aggressively targeting Congress-ruled states in Parliament and encouraged Congress lawmakers to be similarly assertive and confrontational regarding the Centre’s failures.
“I observe BJP members attacking our state governments with complete falsehoods, especially during the Zero Hour. All of you must be equally assertive in raising the failures and mismanagement in BJP-ruled states. This necessitates more thorough research and preparation on our part,” she stated.
A Congress RS MP also expressed concerns over the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, being denied opportunities to speak in the House, noting that Mallikarjun Kharge, the LoP in Rajya Sabha, was also not allowed to express his views.
“This is quite alarming and shocking, aimed at hindering the Opposition from voicing concerns that would challenge the Government,” she remarked.
