'You will always remain hero to middle class': Kharge writes to Manmohan Singh as his RS tenure ends
New Delhi, Apr 2: As former prime minister Manmohan Singh retires from Rajya Sabha, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday wrote to him lauding his contribution to the country and said he will remain a "hero" to the middle class and the aspirational youth.
The current set of leaders "who have reaped the benefits of your work are reluctant to credit you due to political biases", Kharge said in his letter to Singh, who will complete his 33-year journey in Parliament when his tenure ends on April 3.
Kharge said that with Singh's retirement, an era comes to an end. "Very few people can say they have served our nation with more dedication and more devotion than you. Very few people have accomplished as much as you for the nation and its people," he said.
The Congress leader said Singh will always remain a "hero" to the middle class and the aspirational youth, "a leader and guide to the industrialists and entrepreneurs, and a benefactor to all those poor who were able to climb out of poverty due to your economic policies".
"You have shown that it is possible to pursue economic policies that were equally beneficial to large industries, young entrepreneurs, small businesses, the salaried class and the poor. It was you who showed that even the poor can participate in the nation's growth and be lifted out of poverty," the Congress chief said.
Thanks to your policies, he said, India was able to lift 27 crore people, the highest number of poor people, out of poverty in the world while you were the prime minister.
The MGNREGA scheme launched under the Manmohan Singh government continues to provide relief to rural workers during times of crisis, he said.
"The nation and particularly the rural poor will always remember you for ensuring that they can earn a living and live with self-respect through this scheme," he noted.
Kharge said the nation misses the quiet yet strong dignity that Singh brought to the office of the Prime Minister.
"The Parliament will now miss your wisdom and experience. Your dignified, measured, soft-spoken yet statesman-like words are in contrast to the loud voices filled with lies that signify the current politics," he said.
He said that "unscrupulousness" is being equated with astute leadership in the current political situation and added, "I still recall your speech on demonetisation which you termed as 'monumental management failure' and 'an organised loot and legalised plunder', which has proved to be a grim reality."
"You showed it is possible to criticise without getting personal. The nation and the people will soon see through the lies of the current government. Just like how the sun and the moon can never be hidden, the truth can also never be hidden. People will realise the import of your words soon," Kharge said.
He expressed the hope that Singh will continue to be the voice of wisdom and moral compass to the nation.
Kharge also said economic prosperity and stability being enjoyed today are built on the foundations laid by "you along with our former Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna, Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao".
The current set of leaders who have reaped the benefits of your work are reluctant to credit you due to political biases.
"In fact, they seem to go out of their way to speak ill about you and make personal attacks against you. However, we also know that you are large-hearted enough not to hold that against anyone," he said.
Whatever little reforms done by the current government has its seeds in the work initiated in the UPA government headed by you, he said.
In the letter to Singh, Kharge claimed that the work initiated by his government to ensure the direct transfer of benefits to individual beneficiaries by creating zero balance accounts and unique identification of the beneficiary through Aadhaar was "hijacked by the succeeding government without giving you credit".
The Congress chief said personally, it has been a privilege for him to have been a part of his cabinet and Singh has "always been a source of wisdom and someone whose advice I valued."
"Over the last few years, you have made it a point to be available for the Congress party despite personal inconveniences. For this, the party and I will always remain grateful," he said.
My letter to Former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh ji as he retires from Rajya Sabha, today.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 2, 2024
As you retire today from the Rajya Sabha after having served for more than three decades, an era comes to an end. Very few people can say they have served our nation with more… pic.twitter.com/jSgfwp4cPQ
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Injustice to Karnataka in tax devolution, will fight it out: D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging that the Centre has done injustice by allocating less funds to Karnataka in the tax devolution, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said that the Congress government in the state would fight it out.
Shivakumar, also the state Congress chief, attacked BJP MPs and union ministers from the state for remaining silent on the issue and termed it "shameful."
"Injustice has happened to Karnataka. They have given more to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. We were given less than even Andhra Pradesh, which doesn't contribute much in tax. We will fight and protest this in the days ahead," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "We will formulate a programme to fight for - our tax, our right".
"Why have BJP MPs and Central ministers not raise their voices? Despite having five Central ministers from the state, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, they remain silent even though injustice is happening to the state. This is shameful," he said.
When pointed to the BJP’s reported defence that the population of the states being used as a criterion for devolution of taxes and comparison to the figures related to the Manmohan Singh-led UPA tenure, Shivakumar said, "Let's discuss all those in the Assembly....let them join the protest with us for now."
The union government on Thursday released tax devolution of Rs 1,78,173 crore to the state governments, including one advance instalment of Rs 89,086.50 crore in addition to the regular instalment due for October 2024.
Karnataka got Rs 6,498 crore in the state-wise distribution of net proceeds of union taxes and duties for October 2024.
Responding to a question on the opposition's criticism of the term "evil forces" as used in the state government’s advertisements, Shivakumar said, "Based on what we have seen and the information we have, we have tried to express our feelings to the people. I can only say this much now. Let's discuss the rest in the Assembly."
The government's Dasara advertisement in newspapers on Friday read, "May goddess Chamundeshwari bestow upon us the strength to bring peace and prosperity to the people of Karnataka and courage to slay the evil forces that try to destabilize the state with deviousness and deceit."
The advertisement was seen as a dig at the opposition BJP and JD(S), which are targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the MUDA scam and demanding his resignation.
