IN WHAT he said could be his last speech as a Rajya Sabha MP, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday lashed out at the government, asking it not to belittle the contributions made by previous governments and arguing that the divisive discourse and the narrative of hatred is denting the country’s image across the world.
Sharma, the deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha, read out quotations of Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to argue that the icons of freedom movement envisioned an India where there was harmony of religions.
“The lines that are being drawn… the talk about division… the image that is taking shape… and the incidents that are taking place in some parts of the country… in English is being called hate speech…. but the language being used, the kind of threats and attacks taking place against minorities… you should remember that we live in an interconnected world. The world is inter connected by technology. What we say here flashes in a minute in various capitals of the world. The question is being asked in world capitals….should such things happen in India,” said Sharma, taking part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the debate on Tuesday.
Sharma, whose term ends in April, said every government and every Prime Minister – from the first Prime Minister to the present one – has contributed to the nation’s growth and argued that it was not appropriate to belittle the past governments and past Prime Ministers.
India did not start rising and shining in 2014, he said. “Where we reached now is not a journey of eight years. It is a journey of 74 years,” he said.
Sharma said the reality today is that there is terrible unemployment and the gap between the rich and the poor is widening.
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