Lok Sabha election results 'political and moral defeat' of PM Modi: Sonia Gandhi

Congress Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday described the Lok Sabha election results as political and moral defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he has lost the moral right to leadershipAddressing the newly elected MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament she said far from taking responsibility for the failure the prime minister intends to get himself sworn in again on SundayWe do not expect him to change the substance and style of his governance nor take cognisance of the will of the people Sonia Gandhi saidShe said the prime minister had sought the mandate solely in his name to the exclusion of both his party and its allies but has suffered a political and moral defeatIn reality he has lost the mandate he sought and thereby has lost the right to leadership as well Yet far from taking the responsibility for failure he intends to get himself sworn in again tomorrow We do not expect him to change the substance and style of his governance nor take cognisance of the will of the people she saidThat is why as members of the CPP we have a special obligation to be watchful vigilant and proactive in holding him and his new NDA government accountableNo longer can and should bulldoze Parliament like it has been for a decade now No longer will the writ of the ruling establishment be permitted to disrupt Parliament whimsically mistreat members or push through legislation without due and proper consideration and debateNo longer can and should parliamentary committees be ignored or bypassed like they have been since 2014 No longer will Parliament be muzzled and stifled as it has been over the past 10 years the CPP chief saidObserving that the times ahead were challenging she told the Congress MPs that they have to be alert to prevent any attempts to increase polarisation and erosion of secular and democratic values enshrined in our Constitution by the ruling cabalAll such attempts have to be thwarted she saidThe Congress leader also said the Congress is also being bolstered by the strength of the INDIA bloc alliesOur numbers in Parliament have increased significantly Not only is the Indian National Congress a large contingent in the Lok Sabha but we are bolstered by the strength of our INDIA partners some of whom have themselves come back impressively she saidShe also said the Bharat Jodo yatras were historic movementsRahul deserves special thanks for his tenacity and determination to fight on in the face of unprecedented personal and political attacks He also shaped our narrative on guarantees and protection of the Constitution very sharply she saidSonia Gandhi however cautioned the MPs to reflect on what needs to be done to improve its position in the states where performance has been below expectationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever