 "Manmohan Singh casts his vote")
As the Lok Sabha elections reach the final phase, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written an open letter to the people of Punjab who are slated to vote in the seventh phase on June 1.
Singh strongly condemned the BJP-led central government, citing rampant economic mismanagement and divisive political tactics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure.
“Modi has indulged in the most vicious form of hate speeches, which are purely divisive in nature. No PM in past has uttered such hateful, unparliamentary terms to target either a specific section of society or opposition,” Singh wrote in the letter shared by Congress on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Singh further mentioned PM Modi’s attack during a rally in Rajasthan last month. “He has also attributed some false statements to me. I have never in my life singled out one community from the other. That is the sole copyright of the BJP,” the former Prime Minister wrote.
Last month, during an election rally in Rajasthan, PM Modi reportedly remarked that according to the Congress manifesto proposed plans to assess the gold holdings of mothers and daughters for potential distribution of wealth. “Manmohan Singh’s government had said Muslims have the first right to wealth. Brothers and sisters, this Urban Naxal thinking will not spare even the mangal sutras of my mothers and sisters,” Modi said.
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Economic mismanagement and rising inequality
Singh highlighted a grim picture of India’s economy over the past decade, attributing the slide to several key policy failures by the Modi government. He highlighted the disastrous effects of demonetization, a flawed Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation, and poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Average GDP growth under (the) BJP government has plunged to under 6 per cent, while during Congress-UPA tenure, it was about 8 per cent. Unprecedented unemployment and unbridled inflation have greatly widened inequality, which is now at a 100-year high,” Singh wrote.
Criticism of Agnipath scheme
The former Prime Minister expressed particular concern over the central government’s Agnipath scheme. Singh criticised the scheme as “ill-conceived” and “detrimental to national security,” arguing that it undermines the long-term dedication and service ethos of the military.
“BJP govt imposed Agniveer scheme… it thinks (the) value of patriotism, service is only four years. This shows their fake nationalism…,” Singh wrote.
He also highlighted the lack of employment opportunities for the youth, pointing to 30 lakh vacant government positions and widespread corruption in recruitment processes, which have left young Indians ‘disillusioned’ and ‘jobless’.
“The youth of Punjab, who dreams of serving the motherland through the Armed forces, is now thinking twice about getting recruited only for a 4-year stint,” Singh said.
Agricultural crisis and farmer protests
Singh’s letters also focused on the plight of farmers, particularly in Punjab, who have been severely affected by the central government’s policies. He condemned Modi’s unfulfilled promise to double farmers’ incomes by 2022 and the derogatory remarks directed at protesting farmers, who were labelled as ‘Andolanjeevis’ and ‘Parasites’.
“Modiji had promised to double the income of our farmers by 2022. His policies in the last ten years have eroded the earnings of our farmers,” Singh remarked.
He emphasised that the Congress-UPA government had provided substantial support to farmers, including loan waivers and increased minimum support prices (MSP), and promised further reforms under the ‘Kisaan Nyay’ initiative.
In his appeal, Singh called on the Punjab voters to choose love, peace, and harmony over hatred and discord, emphasising that only the Congress party can ensure a democratic and inclusive future for India.
