Chandigarh: Charging the BJP-led government at the Centre of appeasing "crony capitalists and trading partners", Congress on Wednesday said it will continue to oppose any "anti-people" and "anti-farmer" moves by the Modi regime.
"Narendra Modi's Suit Boot Ki Sarkar, whose only policy is Corporate Ka Saath--Khud Ka Vikas (working for corporates) is mercilessly demolishing the edifice of India's foundational values of inclusive and equitable development in its insatiable quest to appease a few crony capitalists and trading partners," senior Congress leader Girija Vyas said.
Addressing a press conference, she hit out at Modi government on Land Bill and other issues, saying, "Congress will oppose any anti-people and anti-farmer moves of this regime."
Asked to rate the BJP-led regime, which is completing one year in office, Vyas gave it "one mark" on a scale of 10.
While Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi graded Modi government's performance at "zero out of 10", Vyas said in her earlier days she was considered as a "liberal teacher and keeping that in view, I will give the government 1 mark (on a scale of 10)."
"Modi government has slashed Social Sector Spending by Rs 1,75,122 crore in one year alone -- by way of Rs 66,222 crore cut in grants on Social Sector Schemes, Rs 5,900 crore cut by closing down Backward Regions Grant Fund and Rs 1,03,000 crore cut by not implementing the Food Security Programme aimed at 67 per cent of the population," she said.
"Shockingly, these cuts have been unabatedly applied to areas such as Women and Child Development, Agriculture, Irrigation, Panchayati Raj, Education, Health, Housing, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Tribals which are DNA of India's intrinsic fabric," she claimed.
On the Food Security Act enacted during previous Congress led UPA regime, Vyas said, "The Act guaranteed 5 kg foodgrain per person per day at a price of Rs 2 per kg to 67 per cent of India's population. Out of 29 states and 7 Union territories, identification of beneficiaries has been completed only in six states."
She also took a dig at Prime Minister's tours to foreign nations, saying, "Time will tell what is gained out of it... time will tell, how much foreign investments come".
Haryana Congress President Ashok Tanwar was also present at the press conference.
Vyas further said that whether in power or out of it, Congress has always strove to protect the interests of the common man.
"To serve people is our aim, whenever their interests will be compromised, we will strongly raise our voice," she said.
The senior Congress leader said that her party had been routed in last year's Lok Sabha polls as it could not publicise its pro-people schemes and policies to the level it would have liked to.
She also said that people were "befooled" by the tall promises made by BJP and Narendra Modi before the polls including, bringing back black money.
"People believed them and thought that once black money is brought back, every person will be credited with Rs 15 lakh into their bank account," she said.
"But now people have realised their mistake. When I travelled through Haryana, I met people at different places who told me that if elections are held in the state today, BJP will be wiped out," she claimed.
Asked when Rahul Gandhi was likely to take over the reigns of the party, Vyas said, "These issues are decided by the party high command," adding that Rahul was a "competent" and a "mature" leader.
Meanwhile, Vyas, a former minister and chairperson of the AICC Intellectual Cell, said she had come here from Shimla, which she will again visit tomorrow, in connection with party programmes.
