100 days of Modi 3.0: Congress slams PM as 'weak', says running 'U-turn' govt
New Delhi, Sep 16: With Modi 3.0 completing 100 days, the Congress on Monday claimed that Narendra Modi in his third term had proven to be a "weak" prime minister who was dependent on crutches and setting new records for U-turns.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the past 100 days had weighed heavily on the nation's farmers, youth, women, infrastructure, Railways, and overall peace.
These hundred days have proven that Modi has neither a solution nor a vision for the country's problems, she said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters.
Modi's "habit" of turning a blind eye to issues and running away from challenges continues to persist, she claimed.
"Each moment of the government in these 100 days has been marked by instability, indecision and immaturity. There have been multiple attempts to inflate a punctured balloon but the thorn pricked by the public in the Lok Sabha elections has not given Narendra Modi any chance to rise again," she said.
"Do you remember the tall claims made during the election campaign that Narendra Modi was planning for the first 100 days? Where is that plan now? Because from day one, Modi has proven to be a weak prime minister, dependent on crutches, setting new records for U-turns," Shrinate said and cited alleged U-turns on issues of lateral entry in civil services, broadcast bill, Waqf bill, indexation and NPS.
Posing questions to the prime minister, Shrinate asked if he had any plan or vision for the next five years.
"Do you have a plan to improve relations with our neighbouring countries? Do you have a plan to address the economy, income inequality, unemployment, inflation, or women's safety?" Shrinate asked.
"Besides blowing the whistle on corruption, what have you done? In fact, all those you called corrupt are now in the BJP. Are you planning to legitimise corruption now? The Supreme Court has reprimanded you many times for misuse of agencies, will you continue to use agencies as the BJP's front, or do you plan to free them?" she said.
"You have nothing left. Your relationship with the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) has turned bitter, there's intense infighting within your party, and your government lacks direction. The flattery of a few yes-men may bring you comfort but you are disconnected from the reality of the country," Shrinate said.
She said during the last 100 days, there had been 38 train accidents with 21 deaths and more than 112 injuries.
From the Kanchanjungha train accident to frequent derailments, hardly a day passes without some train going off track, she said.
"Meanwhile, the Railways minister is busy making reels, dismissing these accidents as minor incidents," Shrinate claimed.
Alleging that the 100 days of the government witnessed "crumbling infrastructure" and corruption exposed, she said 56 major infrastructure projects, including airports, bridges, roads, and statues inaugurated recently, had collapsed.
"The Jabalpur airport, Delhi, and Rajkot airports couldn't withstand a single rain. Shivaji's statue broke within eight months. The leaking roof of the new Parliament building, with water falling into buckets below, is evidence of failure. Water is leaking inside the sanctum sanctorum of the (Ayodhya) Ram mandir. The Rs 18,000-crore Atal Setu has developed cracks. The Sudarshan Setu in Gujarat, inaugurated in February, now has cracks and potholes," she alleged.
Shrinate also raised the issue of terror attacks, saying 26 such attacks had taken place, with 21 soldiers martyred in the 100-day period.
She said 29 soldiers had been injured and 15 civilians died in the attacks.
Terror attacks are now happening in Jammu, with the law and order situation collapsing, she claimed.
Shrinate also alleged that crimes against women had increased and paper leaks and exam cancellations become rampant.
She claimed that the economic situation was deteriorating with the rupee at a historic low, foreign direct investment down 43 per cent and unemployment at an eight-month record high.
In the past 100 days, new revelations have come to light about the scandals involving the prime minister's "close associate, Adani".
"This time, serious allegations of corruption, conflict of interest, and misuse of power have been made against SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch. Yet, you stay silent. Why are you shielding Madhabi Buch? What secrets are you afraid might be uncovered?" she asked.
Shrinate claimed that Ladakh's herders had repeatedly warned about China's incursions but they were ignored.
"Now, thousands from Ladakh are marching towards Delhi -- what will you do now? Will you dig trenches and install fortifications in their path? Because you certainly don't have the courage to name China," she said.
Shrinate claimed that the government had left Manipur to "burn" with drones, rockets, and RPGs being used in the violence there.
She said 12 people died in the past two weeks and security forces were attacked but the prime minister had no time to visit Manipur.
"Perhaps it's too much to expect -- after 16 months of inaction, why would he visit now within 100 days?" she said.
"During the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi's talk of a 100-day agenda was just rhetoric, just like his other slogans -- this too was a mere slogan. The truth is, he has no plan, no vision, and no agenda left. What remains is the desperate desire to cling to power by any means, filling the coffers of his A-1 and A-2, even at the cost of ruining several institutions," Shrinate said.
100 Days of Modi
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 16, 2024
👉 U-turn on decisions
👉 38 train accidents
👉 56 infrastructure collapse incidents
👉 26 terror attacks
👉 104 incidents of crime against women
👉 Exam paper leaks
👉 Historic fall in rupee value
👉 Foreign investment (FDI) down by 43%
👉 Unemployment… pic.twitter.com/8mRyZDg5Ym
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59 percent voter turnout in first phase in J-K, polling peaceful: CEO
Jammu, Sep 18: A voter turnout of about 59 percent -- "the highest in the past seven elections" -- was recorded in the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said.
However, these are tentative figures and may rise after the final reports are received about postal ballots, and from remote pockets like Marwah, Wadwan, Dachhan and Machail in Kishtwar, the officer said.
Briefing mediapersons here after polling ended at 6 pm, Pole said the elections -- which covered 24 seats in seven districts -- ended peacefully without any untoward incident.
There are reports of some minor incidents of scuffle or argument from a few polling stations but "no serious incident" occurred that could have forced a repoll, he said.
Over 2.3 million voters were eligible to cast the ballot to determine the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents.
"The polling percentage of 59 percent is highest in the past seven elections -- four Lok Sabha polls and three assembly elections," he said, attributing the increase in the voter turnout to various factors including improved security situation, active participation of political parties and candidates and a campaign by the department.
He said Kishtwar district recorded the highest 77 percent turnout, while Pulwama district witnessed the lowest 46 percent.
Doda district recorded a turnout of 69.33 percent, Ramban district 67.71 percent, Kulgam district 61.57 percent, Anantnag district 54.17 percent and Shopian district 53.64 percent.
In the 2014 assembly elections, the district wise poll percentage was: Pulwama 44 percent, Shopian 48 percent, Kulgam 59 percent, Anantnag 60 percent, Ramban 70 percent, Doda 73 percent and Kishtwar 76 percent.
In Kishtwar districts, he said, the Padder-Nagseni segment recorded the highest 80.67 percent voting followed by Inderwal (80.06 percent) and Kishtwar (78.11 percent).
In the nearby Doda district, Doda west segment recorded 75.98 percent, Doda (70.21 percent) and Bhaderwah (65.27 percent).
In Ramban district, Banihal segment recorded 71.28 percent and Ramban 67.34 percent, he said.
Among the seven constituencies of Anantnag district, Pahalgam recorded the highest voter turnout at 67.86 percent, followed by Kokernag (58 percent), Dooru (57.90 percent), Srigufwara-Bijbehara (56.02 percent), Shangus-Anantnag (52.94 percent), Anantnag West (45.93 percent) and Anantnag 41.58 percent, Pole said.
In Pulwama district, the CEO said, the Pulwama segment witnessed 50.42 percent polling, followed by Rajpora 48.07 percent, Pampore 44.74 percent and Tral 43.21 percent.
In Shopian district, the Shopian segment recorded a voter turnout of 54.72 percent and Zainapora 52.64 percent.
In Kulgam district, D H Pora recorded a turnout of 68 percent, Kulgam 62.70 percent and Devsar 57.33 percent, Pole said.
He said seven districts of south Kashmir had been traditionally low poll percentage constituencies and in some of the past elections, the percentage had not even crossed the single digit.
Asked about a social media video purportedly showing a policeman losing temper and aiming his gun before being overpowered by his colleagues outside a polling station in Kishtwar, he said the district election officer and the returning officer concerned have taken note and issue was resolved amicably.
PDP and BJP candidates were involved in an argument at the polling station.
Pole expressed hope that the remaining two phases on September 25 and October 1 will also see high polling percentage.
Meanwhile, the election commission expressed satisfaction over the long queues of voters at the polling stations showcasing the entire world, the deep trust and confidence of the people of J&K in the democratic exercise.
The polling was held across 3,276 Polling Stations in the seven districts and 24 special polling stations set up for migrant pandits in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi.
According to officials, 31.42 percent of the more than 35,000 eligible kashmiri migrant voters exercised their franchise. While 27 percent cast their votes at 19 polling stations in Jammu, 40 percent at four polling stations in Delhi and 30 percent at one polling station in Udhampur.
In each of the seven districts where voting was held in the first phase, the voter participation exceeded the participation during the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the election commission said in a release.
The performance builds on the trend witnessed during the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir which saw a voter turnout of 58.58 percent at polling stations, highest in the last 35 years.
Voting began at 7 am and proceeded steadily through the day. Men and women, the young and old, some too frail to walk and others patiently waiting their turn, queued up outside polling booths across Kashmir Valley and Jammu.
Security forces fanned out to ensure that there was no trouble. The day was largely without incident except for reports of clashes between political workers in some areas of Bijbehara and D H Pora.
