NDA chargesheet
A dangerous regime dedicated to one family
By Deepak Kumar Rath
Given below is a gist of NDA chargesheet against the UPA.
In one year of its rule, the UPA government has done more damage to the democratic institutions, norms and standards of our polity than any other government in independent India'shistory, barring the Emergency imposed by Smt. Indira Gandhi in 1975. The fragile and artificial character of this unprincipled and opportunistic alliance has been borne out by the events of the last twelve months. The Common Minimum Programme, subsequently adopted as the National Common Minimum Programme by the UPA government is like the wall-paper, which has miserably failed to conceal the cracks in the wall.
NAC is an affront to parliamentary system of governance: The Prime Minister has not cared to explain why his government needs a separate advisory council, when it already has the Planning Commission with precisely the same mandate. Besides, each ministry is free to appoint its own advisors. In fact, various ministries in the UPA government have created a record of sorts by setting up as many as 52 committees for study and tendering advice. Over and above these, the Prime Minister has set up his own advisory councils on trade, industry and economy.
The NDA demands that the Prime Minister either disband the National Advisory Council, or make its chairperson accountable to Parliament and, additionally, make NAC'swork open to scrutiny by Parliamentary committees, who should have the right to summon NAC chairperson and members before them.
A Prime Minister who is not in command of his government: The Prime Minister of India is not the CEO of India Inc, stripped of political powers, which are exercised by some other person. This unconstitutional arrangement has imposed on the country a Prime Minister who is not the leader of his own party, who is not in command of his own government, who has to report to his boss at every important step.
Also the NDA demands that projection of the NAC chairperson in official advertisements should be immediately stopped.
Gagging the voice of the Opposition: From day one after coming to power, this government, under the direct orders of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, decided to destroy the institution of the Opposition in Parliament. For all the 365 days that this government has been in office, the picture inside Parliament is that it is the NDA Opposition that was under attack by the Treasury benches, rather than the other way round. It is instructive to remember that, the last time a government displayed similar intolerance towards the Opposition, it went on to impose the draconian Emergency Rule in 1975.
Principle of the Cabinet'scollective responsibility flouted: The concept of the collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers has been effectively destroyed in the last one year. Senior ministers of the government have freely abused and contradicted each other in public.
Dynastic takeover of names of schemes and places: This government has freely changed the names of schemes and places to satisfy the insatiable hunger of the ?royal family? of the Congress party to name everything and every place after the names of the members of that family.
* Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana
* Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission
* Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for SC and ST Students
* Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana
* Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for Tsunami Affected Areas
* Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan (where the Civil Aviation Ministry is located)
* Rajiv Chowk in New Delhi
* Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards
* Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad
* Rajiv Gandhi Abhyudaya Yojana (Andhra Pradesh)
* Rajiv Gandhi Education City (Haryana)
* Rajiv Gandhi Vidyarthi Suraksha Yojana (Maharashtra)
* Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corporation (Karnataka)
* Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana (Himachal Pradesh)
* Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (Kerala)
* Rajiv Gandhi Breakfast Scheme (Pondicherry)
Misuse of Governors: The institution of Governors of states has been treated in an equally cavalier way. The manner in which some of the Governors appointed by the NDA government were removed and new Governors were appointed in their place showed that the ruling alliance has scant regard for the constitutional office of Governor.
Bihar Governor'sobjectionable conduct: The NDA takes exception to the style of functioning and several utterances of the Governor of Bihar, Shri Buta Singh. His critical statements about the efforts of political parties to form a popular government in the state and thus to bring the President'sRule to an end are not only unbecoming for a Governor, but they also appear to be politically motivated. In Patna, people are saying in disgust: ?It is not Rasthtrapati Raj but Rabripati Raj in Bihar.?
UPA government'scampaign to toxify the education system: The NDA views with much concern the attempts by the UPA government to widen the majority-minority divide in the country'seducation system. Its latest decision to reserve 50 per cent seats for Muslims in Aligarh Muslim University is blatantly communal.
Playing politics with Commissions of Enquiry: Commissions of Enquiry have been an accepted mode of getting at the truth in our democracy. The Congress party has always treated Commissions of Enquiry, which have not served its political purpose, with scant respect.
Politicisation of CAG reports: Scores of reports of the C&AG are gathering dust in CPI(M)-ruled West Bengal. They have not even been placed before the State Assembly for years. But, clearly the Left parties follow one principle in West Bengal and an entirely opposite principle in Delhi.
Deceiving the nation on the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration: The NDA strongly condemns the UPA government'smyopic and selfish approach towards the grave problem of ?Demographic Invasion? by Bangladeshi infiltrators, giving no thought to the long-term harm this can do to India'ssecurity, unity and integrity.
Betrayal of aam aadmi: The Congress party contested the elections by promising to protect the interests of the aam aadmi. That promise now lies in tatters. The aam aadmi is reeling under unprecedented price rise.
Betrayal of kisans: It is the plight of the kisans under the UPA rule which is a matter of great concern. More than 2,000 farmers have committed suicide in various parts of the country and especially in Andhra Pradesh, since the UPA government came to power.
The hoax of ?Bharat Nirman? initiative: Recently, the Prime Minister has announced the launch of what is billed as a new mega-development initiative for rural India. Called ?Bharat Nirman?, it is advertised to have an outlay of Rs. 1,73,000 crore over the next four years. The truth is that, there is hardly anything new in the ?Bharat Nirman? initiative. It is nothing but a repackaging of the various ambitious projects and pathbreaking initiatives of the Vajpayee government.
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