Former Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it is “not in the DNA” of the prime minister to listen to the advice of the Opposition, but he should at least listen to the words of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Urging the new NDA government not to repeat what had happened in the last 10 years, the former Additional Solicitor General said, “I have been saying this for months. With statements, an environment of ‘us versus them’ is being created. We need to take the country forward. I welcome Mohan Bhagwat’s statement.”
Taking to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Sibal cautioned the new government about rising militancy in Kashmir(Reasi), Manipur, social unrest, unemployment and inflation and said, “At least listen to Bhagwat ji !, And then go to Vivekananda Rock Memorial and do ‘dhyaan’ without a camera !”
Modi ji : Attend to : Rising militancy in Kashmir(Reasi) Manipur Social unrest Unemployment Inflation You won’t listen to us That’s not in your DNA At least listen to Bhagwat ji ! And then go to Vivekananda Rock Memorial and do ‘dhyaan’ without a camera !
Earlier on Monday, Bhagwat raised the issue of violence-hit Manipur in his speech during an RSS event in Nagpur of Maharashtra. Bhagwat expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur even after one year and said the situation in the strife-torn north eastern state must be considered with priority.
Bhagwat said conflict in various places and in society is not good.
“Manipur has been looking for peace for a year now. It should be discussed on priority. The state had been peaceful for the past 10 years. It felt like the old ‘gun culture’ had come to a demise. It is still burning in the fire of the sudden tension that rose there or that was made to rise there. Who will pay attention to that? It is the duty to prioritise it and take note of it,” ANI quoted the RSS chief as saying.
Addressing a press conference the national capital, Sibal said, “I have been repeating this for many months. When I was in the Rajya Sabha, in 1998-2004, there was a Vajpayee government. I heard his speeches many times, he used to call the Opposition ‘Pratipaksh’, he used to say you are not our virodhi. PM Modi made the Opposition ‘Virodhi’.”
“We raised concern about Manipur, Bhagwat ji has also said it now. You don’t listen to us because you are not used to listening to us but listen to him. It is not in your DNA to listen to us. Manipur should be given priority. I had asked for removal of CM N Biren Singh, but you could not remove the former wrestling body chief, what will you do about the CM,” Sibal said.
Referring to the deadly attack on pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi, Sibal slammed the government and said they removed Article 370 but the result is now there for everyone to see. “Who won the election against Omar Abdullah….Five years have passed (since the abrogation Article 370) and Kashmir remains the same. You said elections will take place as soon as possible why don’t they hold the elections,” he said.
“Wherever they (the BJP) involve themselves problems arise because they don’t have the thinking to run the government, they only have desire for power,” Sibal alleged.
Sibal also said there should not be any comparisons between first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and PM Modi. “You (Modi) were BJP PM twice and an NDA PM the third time. The thinking Nehru ji had you can never have,” he said.
