NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a dig at the Congress’s leadership crisis, saying he hoped it would take its senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s remarks in the right spirit and not do something to the contrary by mistaking them as “advice of G-23”.
During a discussion on Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said Azad had praised the Centre for conducting elections in J&K. “Ghulam Nabi ji has praised the elections for panchayats, BDCs and DDC held in J&K and I am grateful to him. But I also fear on this praise showered on me. I am confident that people in your party will take this in the right spirit and not mistake it as the advice of G-23 to do something opposite,” the PM said. His reference was to the rift in the Congress and the group of 23 leaders (G-23) who had written to party chief Sonia Gandhi demanding an organisational overhaul.The Congress accused him of overlooking the party’s proposal on what lacks in the contentious three farm laws.
‘Proud to be andolan jivi’
Soon after Modi invited farmers’ unions to resume the dialogue with the government, the leaders said they were ready for the talks, but the Centre should send a fresh proposal, and fix the date and time.Krantikari Kisan Union Punjab chief Darshan Pal said: “We are ready for talks. We are proud of the fact that we are ‘andolan jivi’, as the PM said. The British left the country only after we resorted to andolans (movements). The BJP and RSS have never ever done an andolan,’’ he said.
‘Ensure norms of democracy are maintained’
The India Caucus in the US Congress has urged the Centre to ensure norms of democracy are maintained, peaceful protests are continued to be held and access to internet is granted to all as it held a meeting with New Delhi’s envoy in Washington. India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu had a virtual meeting with the top leadership of the Congressional India Caucus last week. The caucus was represented by co-chairs Congressmen Brad Sherman and Steve Chabot along with vice-chair Ro Khanna. Sources said the Congressmen welcomed the three new farm laws during the meeting and condemned the violence that erupted during the tractor rally on January 26.