He also questioned the government’s ability to run the country when it could not conduct an examination properly. “What is its capacity to run the country when it cannot manage a single NEET exam? There is paper leak after paper leak after paper leak! And then you come before the nation and say, ‘Look at my achievements, look at my report card which I made myself’,” he said.
On the economy, Sibal questioned the government’s inflation and growth figures. “If GDP growth is 7.8 per cent and nominal is 10.3 per cent, it implies inflation is only 2.5 per cent. If that is true, then why have the prices of sugar, garlic, ginger, and milk skyrocketed? You might not know this, but we do. You claim inflation is 2.5 per cent, but who will believe this? Nobody believes these figures you throw around,” he said.
Sibal also said the employment situation in the country was extremely dire.
On Jammu and Kashmir, he questioned Modi’s claim that the situation was completely normal. “You spoke about Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that the situation is completely normal, there is no stone-pelting, and everyone is happy. It is wonderful if people are happy, but if things are so normal, why don’t you restore its statehood? You yourself say that everything is peaceful and normal,” he said.
Sibal also rejected Modi’s claim that terrorism had ended. “You claim terrorism has ended. Where has it ended? What happened in Pahalgam where 26 people were killed? Practically every single day, some incident occurs. You claimed that during the UPA tenure, police personnel and civilians were killed. Yes, they were. But by 2014, those numbers had declined significantly,” he said.
Sibal accused Modi of having ruined foreign policy, defence, security, the economy and employment. He also attacked the government over the treatment of Dalits and Muslims, citing recent remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
“You stay silent when Dalits are mistreated and lynched. Recently, even RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stated that anyone who tells Muslims to leave the country is not a Hindu. The signal is clear; even the RSS is advising you against this. I myself heard you say on television, ‘The day I start doing Hindu-Muslim politics, I will leave politics’. Yet, you have been doing the exact same thing for years,” he alleged.
With PTI inputs
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