Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. File
| Photo Credit: L. Balachandar
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government and said the saffron party is no longer a political party but has become a cult which worships Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Targeting the Modi government, Mr. Chidambaram said there is a “grave erosion” of freedom of speech and expression happening under the ten years of Modi rule and urged the people to “restore democracy”.
He also assured that even though the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was not mentioned in the Congress manifesto, it will be repealed once the INDIA bloc comes to power.
Mr. Chidambaram also expressed hope that the INDIA bloc will win all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the one seat in Pondicherry where the elections were over.
“The BJP constituted the manifesto in 14 days which is not titled manifesto. They called it Modi’s guarantee. The BJP is no longer a political party. It has become a cult and the cult worships Narendra Modi,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
He claimed that “Modi ki guarantee” reminds everyone of the countries where there was cult worship.
“That cult worship in India has started gaining strength and will lead to dictatorship,” he said. He alleged that there is a gross censorship of the freedom of expression under the ten year Modi rule.
“If Modi is voted back to power for the third time, he may amend the constitution… We have to restore democracy,” he said.
He said the gravest challenge faced by the country was unemployment.
Mr. Chidambaram added that the Congress manifesto talks about job creation and wealth generation about which the CPI(M) is silent.
“CAA will be repealed in the first session of the Parliament when the INDIA bloc comes to power,” he added.