Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday claimed an atmosphere of fear and violence was prevailing in the country and agencies like the CBI and ED were being used to intimidate people.
Gehlot was addressing a farmers meet in Gobra-Nawapara town of Chhattisgarh's Raipur district in the presence of state CM Bhupesh Baghel.
"All agencies, be it judiciary, CBI, ED or Income-Tax are being used to intimidate. Innocent people are being put behind bars. There is an atmosphere of fear and violence in the country," Gehlot said.
"On the economic front, we are facing trouble. Trade and business have collapsed. People are losing jobs," he said, adding that 70 per cent of the country's population was young and needed jobs.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for claiming that previous Congress governments did nothing for the country since Independence, Gehlot cited several achievements that took place under the prime ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
He said India and Pakistan achieved Independence together but the neighbouring country could not manage an unbroken tryst with democracy.
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He said democracy and supremacy of voters prevailed in India because it "runs on the principles of Mahatma Gandhi".
"When the country got Independence, people were not even aware of electricity or schools or hospitals. Today, we send satellites to space. All these were dreams of former PM Rajiv Gandhi. All these happened due to ideas of Jawaharlal Nehru," he said.
He said the younger generation was not aware of several of these achievements due to which some people were making misguided statements that the Congress did nothing during its long rule.
"Making such statements does not suit PM Modi. In a democracy, responsibility increases when you are elected," he said.
He said "people were being misled in the name of nationalism", and stressed that brave feats of the Army should not be politicised.