Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi government of posing a threat to the Indian ethos of pluralism and trying to wipe out the Nehruvian legacy of tolerance.
"Narendra Modi Government wants to eliminate the name of Jawaharlal Nehru from all memorials so that the Nehru legacy of tolerance vanishes from the country," Sonia said at a public meeting at Jageshwar in an apparent reference to strong concerns voiced by several writers, filmmakers, scientists, historians and others over "growing intolerance" in the country.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making "false" promise of "Acche Din" to the people, Sonia said the masses feel cheated now as they are still waiting for good days.
"The Modi govenment has failed to rise to the expectations of people," she said.
She also spoke against the Centre for changing the funding pattern for Uttarakhand in centrally-sponsored schemes from a ratio of 90:10 in the past to 50:50 at present saying this had dealt a blow to the state government's efforts towards empowerment of women and welfare of children.
"Slashing Uttarakhand's planning budget from a ratio of 90:10 to 50:50 has adevrsely affected the state government's programmes for women empowerment and child welfare besides also affecting the infrastructure sector.
Union government should have maintained policies of the previous government for small states like Uttarakhand which would have prospered with the Centre's backing," she said.
In her 20-minute speech, Gandhi remembered her family's love for Uttarakhand hills and said three generations right from Jawaharlal Nehru had a special place in their heart for the hill state.
“The love of Nehru family with Uttarakhand which began with Pt Nehru still continues,” Sonia said.
Later, addressing party workers at Jageshwar, Gandhi asked them to remain united and power the Congress party to victory in the 2017 assembly elections in the state.
Earlier, accompanied by Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Speaker of the State Assembly Govind Singh Kunjwal, Pradesh Congress President Kishore Upadhyay and a host of officials, Sonia inaugurated Udai Shankar Nritya Sansthan and laid the foundation stone of Hari Prasad Tamta Pramaparik Shilp Unnayan Sansthan.
She also attended the valedictory session of the three-day yog mahotsav and another function in Jageshwar to celebrate 15 years of the state's existence.
