Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress of weakening movements demanding accountability and reforms, saying such protests were essential in a democracy but were being undermined by the opposition party.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Modi alleged that the Congress was preventing young opposition leaders from getting opportunities while attempting to keep only one person in the spotlight.
His remarks came amid a series of demonstrations in Delhi over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and restrictions on the right to protest.
‘Congress Destroys Movements Seeking Reforms’
Emphasising the importance of public movements in a democracy, Modi accused the Congress of undermining protests that sought to expose shortcomings in governance and bring about systemic changes.
“Movements that naturally seek to highlight the government’s shortcomings and bring about reforms in the system are also necessary in a democracy. But Congress destroys these movements as well. It has become a parasite that does not want anyone else to move forward,” he said.
The Prime Minister also alleged that the Congress was unwilling to give emerging opposition leaders a platform and remained focused on promoting a single individual.
“Congress does not allow others to get an opportunity. It wants to keep only one person in the limelight and does not listen to the voices of young leaders in the opposition,” the prime minister said.
Modi Takes Swipe At Congress Leadership
Modi also criticised the Congress over its repeated attempts to promote its leadership, drawing a comparison with rocket launches from Sriharikota.
“I don’t know how long Congress will continue putting the country’s interests at stake to launch its failed product. In a year, there are not as many launches from Sriharikota as the number of failed attempts Congress makes to launch its leader,” he said.
The Prime Minister further accused the party of compromising India's reputation to protect its leadership from political setbacks.
“Congress can continue on its path of decline; we have no problem with that. But to protect its family from repeated failures, it is putting the country’s reputation on trial. The grapes are so sour that Congress is trying to cut down the very vine that bears them,” Modi said.
Delhi Protests Over Electoral Roll Revision
Modi's remarks came against the backdrop of demonstrations in Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Student groups and youth organisations, including the All India Students' Association (AISA) and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), have protested against alleged irregularities in the revision exercise.
The demonstrators have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, expressing concerns that the exercise could result in the deletion of eligible voters' names.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the revision aims to update electoral rolls by removing entries belonging to deceased, duplicate and ineligible voters.
The protests escalated on October 10 when CJP members and student activists attempted to assemble in Delhi to demand Kumar's resignation.
With Jantar Mantar, the designated protest venue announced by the organisers, heavily barricaded, demonstrators gathered at several other locations, including Connaught Place, Dilli Haat, Safdarjung flyover and Raj Ghat.
Police detained protesters and journalists at multiple locations during the demonstrations.
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Student Organisations Demand Restoration Of Protest Venue
The demonstrations have also raised concerns over the Delhi Police's decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites.
In the days following the October 10 protests, several student and youth organisations continued their demonstrations and marches.
These included the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Indian Youth Congress (IYC).
The organisations demanded greater accountability from the Election Commission and the restoration of Jantar Mantar as a designated venue for public protests.
