Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA regime of deliberately passing Parliament threats to the civil society and warnings to the judiciary to dismantle the edifice of the welfare state built up over the decades by successive Congress governments.
"There is an unprecedented centralization of power, deliberate by-passing of Parliament threats to civil society and warnings to judiciary. Systematic attempts are being made to dismantle edifice of the welfare state built up over the decades by successive Congress governments," said Gandhi.
"On the one hand, the Prime Minister wants to project himself as the great champion of good governance. While on the other, he allows many of his colleagues to make communal statements," he added.
Gandhi, who was speaking at a meeting of the chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, told them that they have a special responsibility to ensure that party workers are motivated and enthused.
"Your administration and the party organisation have to work cohesively with each other," she added.
Gandhi further said that as Congressmen it was important for the state chiefs to confront the ruling government at the Centre and agitate when it works against the public interest.
"The best tribute we can pay to Ambedkarji is by ensuring the Congress-ruled state gives statutory status to implement the Supreme Court plan and tribal sub-plan. As chief ministers, you must work with the Centre in the best interest of your state. But as Congressmen, we have to confront the Modi Government and agitate when it works against the public interest. Seven out of the eleven states under special category are ruled by the Congress," she said.
The Congress president today met with the Chief Ministers of all the states where the grand old party is in power.
The meeting was aimed at forming a political strategy to take on the NDA Government for its attitude towards the Congress-ruled and other non-BJP ruled states.
This was the first such meeting called by the Congress president after the grand old party's drubbing in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
