Chandigarh, January 11
The Senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament Kumari Selja today met Congress workers in Dabwali area of Sirsa district and listened to public grievances. Later, while interacting with the media, she referred to the developments in West Bengal and accused the BJP-led Central Government of gross misuse of central agencies.
Selja said it is no longer hidden from the country that whenever elections approach, the BJP government intensifies the use of central agencies against political opponents. Such tactics are especially being adopted in states where the BJP is not in power. West Bengal is a clear example, where attempts are being made to destabilize the government and influence the democratic process ahead of elections. This reflects the BJP’s lack of faith in democracy, which is extremely alarming.
Selja said the Congress Party has always stood firmly with the poor and marginalized sections. During the UPA government, under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh, MGNREGA was enacted into law, granting rural poor the right to 100 days of employment, with the entire financial burden borne by the Central Government.
Selja said the present BJP government has diluted the core spirit of MGNREGA. The rights of panchayats and states are being curtailed, and by imposing a 40 percent financial burden on states, the scheme is being rendered ineffective, even though employment opportunities in villages are already extremely limited throughout the year. This clearly shows that the BJP government’s policies favor the rich and that it is not serious about the livelihood and dignity of the poor.
Selja asserted that the Congress Party will continue to fight with full determination to protect the rights of the poor. On this occasion, Dr. K.V. Singh, Jagga Barar, Rajesh Chadiwal, Sandeep Nehra, Kunwarveer Hitler, Inder Jain, and many other Congress workers were present.
