Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the grand old party by criticizing Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi for repeatedly misusing Article 356 to topple state governments led by non-Congress parties.
He alleged that Congress dispensations including those led by former prime ministers Nehru and Gandhi used Article 356 of the Constitution at least 90 times to topple state governments of many regional outfits.
India Gandhi alone used Article 356 to topple governments of regional parties in states as many as 50 times, PM Modi said in the parliament.
The Prime Minister even raised questions on parties including DMK, TDP, and Left and the NCP of Sharad Pawar for aligning with the Congress which had toppled their governments in the past.
“Those who are standing with them in Kerala today, just remember, Left government was elected in Kerala which Pandit Nehru did not like. The first elected government was sent home within a short span of time. Today you are standing there, just remember what happened to you,” he said.
He also sought to remind the DMK that the governments of stalwarts like M G Ramachandran and M Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu were also dismissed by the same Congress.
“MGR’s soul must be watching where you are standing. Sitting here is the senior member of this House whom I always consider a respected leader, Mr. Sharad Pawar. Sharad Pawar ji was 35-40 years old in 1980. A young chief minister went out to serve his motherland, his government was also toppled, today he is there,” Modi said.
The Jawaharlal Nehru government had used Article 356 six times till 1959. Then in the 1960s, it was used 11 times and Indira Gandhi after coming to power used the Article seven times between 1967 and 1969.
