KOCHI: “The Congress will come to power in 2019. Rahul Gandhi will lead the coalition,” former cabinet minister Dhirendra Pratap told Express. “He will lead a coalition if the situation calls for it. The BJP is leading with religion-based politics which is appalling.
“The Prime Minister should broaden his thinking and realise he is responsible for all people, not just one section,” he said.
Pratap, who is also media relations head of the Congress party in Uttarakhand, was in the state to participate in the HN Bahuguna Memorial lecture at the PWD Rest House in Kalamassery.
“Even the judiciary is in trouble now. We have all seen what happened in the case of former Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph. He gave a verdict against the Centre, quashing the imposition of President’s Rule in the state in 2016 so he was denied his deserved place in the Supreme Court.
“Ultimately, the collegium pressured the Centre and finally achieved success which goes to show the anarchy and autocratic attitude of the government,” he said.
According to Pratap, in the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan elections, the Congress party will rise, reflecting people’s distaste towards the incompetent government at the Centre.
He spoke of the need to form a new state reorganisation committee. “As a member of the Uttarakhand formation movement, I must emphasise the need to create a new state reorganisation commission. The PM must look into it to make governance easier and make the reach of the government to people better.
“This will help address all the aspirations and hopes of people in various parts of the state who still face severe poverty,” he said.
He also expressed his concerns over the change of the name of Mughalsarai railway station in Uttar Pradesh to Deen Dayal Upadhyay station. “It is the system that should change, not a name. Not only that, changing names causes extra expenses which are unnecessary,” he said.
HN Bahuguna Memorial Lecture
Kochi: The HN Bahuguna Memorial Lecture was held to mark the 100th birth anniversary of the late Uttar Pradesh chief minister here at the PWD Rest House in Kalamassery.
The lecture was attended by K V Thomas MP, former MP Francis George and other leaders.