NEW DELHI: Congress and AIMIM today expressed concerns over the "direction" in which the country was heading under NDA rule as they alleged that intolerance has grown, a charge refuted by Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who said the Modi dispensation has been able to give corruption-free governance.
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, while speaking at 'Agenda Aaj Tak' event here, analysed the BJP-led NDA regime as one in which attempts are made to "disintegrate" the country at various levels including social, cultural and economic.
"Whenever political changes occur, people expect things around them will change for better. In the past 20 months, the direction in which we are heading, it is not good. This country is being broken into pieces. There are signals that the country is being broken at various levels including social, cultural and economic," Khurshid said.
Echoing similar views, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Assaduddin Owaisi maintained the "fringe" elements relating to right-wing outfits had become core during NDA Government's tenure until now even as he observed the Modi dispensation's popularity growth had arrested during the tenure.
Referring to Modi allegedly trying to woo voters from Dalit segments by accusing leaders of grand alliance of reducing the SC/ST quota to hand it over to a minority community during campaign for Bihar polls, Owaisi questioned whether it behoved a Prime Minister to make such a statement when he is bound to protect Constitution.
The AIMIM also expressed concerns claiming beef ban by BJP-led state governments like Maharashtra had resulted into unemployment.
Retorting to the allegations leveled by opposition parties on "growing intolerance", Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi questioned whether the same has faded as the Bihar elections are over.
Naqvi stressed "development" remained high on the Government's agenda during the tenure until now and claimed the Modi dispensation has managed to eliminate corruption fromthe corridors of power in Delhi.
"The biggest challenge before us when we assumed office was to free our country from corruption. Our biggest achievement is that we have managed to free this country from corruption, ill administration which we had received in legacy. The country is heading a positive direction," Naqvi exhorted.
Naqvi also challenged the opposition parties to name any three incidents to prove communal riots had taken place in country during NDA regime.
"These were all manufactured, fabricated allegations. Tolerance is in the DNA of this country," Naqvi said.
He also refuted charges that NDA Government had launched crack down on NGOs.
Responding to a question on comments made by actors like Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan over alleged intolerance, Naqvi said the cine stars were under influence of "fabricated atmosphere" created by a section, post Dadri like incident.
Zafar Sareshwala, a businessman, maintained a government should be judged by its policies and decisions and not by what leaders said during poll campaigns.