Mallikarjun Kharge accuses PM Modi of 'distraction theatrics'

Congress president and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of avoiding core public issues on the first day of the Winter Session, alleging that the government has spent 11 years “crushing parliamentary norms” and replacing debate with “theatrics”.

In a sharp criticism, Kharge said the record of the past decade reflected a “systematic weakening” of parliamentary scrutiny. Citing the previous Monsoon Session, Kharge said at least 12 Bills were cleared in haste, some in under 15 minutes and several without any discussion.

He said that the manner in which the government had pushed through the three farm laws, the GST framework and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita had already shown the pattern of “bulldozing legislation”.

Kharge also flagged the government’s silence during the Manipur crisis, recalling that the Prime Minister did not speak on the issue until the Opposition forced a debate through a no-confidence motion.

Raising concerns over electoral processes, Kharge referred to the increasing workload in the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise, saying Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were under such pressure that “lives were being lost”. He maintained that the Opposition wanted discussions on “vote theft” and other electoral issues to be prioritised during the Winter Session.

Accusing the ruling BJP of attempting to distract from public distress, Kharge said Parliament must address unemployment, inflation, widening economic inequality and the “loot of national resources”. He said people were battling real hardships while those in power continued to rely on “diversionary drama” instead of accountability.

Kharge said the Opposition would raise these issues consistently inside Parliament, insisting that the government focus on substantive debate rather than rhetoric.

Separately, Congress general secretary and MP Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister “rarely attends Parliament” and has consistently weakened its importance. He said the PM does not engage with the Opposition and yet makes grand appeals before every session, urging cooperation for the smooth functioning of both Houses.

Ramesh said the responsibility for disruptions lay squarely with the Prime Minister, arguing that his refusal to allow the Opposition to speak on key public issues was at the root of the impasse. According to him, the Prime Minister insists on pushing decisions unilaterally while denying even the minimum space for Opposition voices.

He termed the PM’s statement before the start of the session “pure hypocrisy”, adding that “the biggest dramabaaz is the one lecturing others on drama”.