New Delhi: Stepping up offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress today alleged "fascism" over the meat ban in some states, and "arrogance of power" over the inconvenience faced by people in Chandigarh due to his rally there.
Attacking the BJP over a range of issues, the opposition party said while it has become Modi's "habit" to commit mistakes and then apologise, the BJP government of Maharashtra is resorting to steps like meat ban to divert attention from real issues.
"Fascism that is starting from the top is going down the the line. Government is now getting into what someone will eat or wear. What else is fascism? He (Modi) goes to Chandigarh and examinations are cancelled, schools are closed," senior party leader Kapil Sibal told reporters at the AICC briefing.
Dubbing it as "VIP racism", Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala dismissed the Prime Minister's remarks expressing regret over inconvenience caused to people during his rally today.
"It has just become his habit in the last 15 months to commit mistakes and then apologise. If there is an apology, it should reflect (in deeds)," he told reporters, adding that Modi should apologise to the Kargil war hero who was allegedly not allowed to cremate his young son in Chandigarh due to security arrangements and to local Congress leaders "who had been locked up by police for 12 hours".
He alleged that Modi's claims of bringing down prices of essential commodities was yet another instance of "hawabaazi" (empty talk), repeating the barb which had riled the Prime Minister, and said he cannot understand the problem of rising prices as he does not a have family to take care of.
Surjewala alleged people are suffering due to "hawabaazi, chalbazi and dagabazi" of the Modi administration and accused it of resorting to "empty talk, manipulation and betrayal".
Sibal took potshots at the Prime Minister, who in Chandigarh, hit out at Congress over deadlock in Parliament, saying 40 MPs are "conspiring" to hamper the country's development against the wishes of 400 MPs due to their "arrogance" and "negative politics".
"The Prime Minister should first criticise his Finance Minister (Arun Jaitely), who as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, had said that disruption was part of Parliamentary democracy. Modi should also ask the BJP to apologise from the nation for obstructing the functioning of both Houses during UPA regime," he said.
On the OROP issue, Sibal ridiculed Modi saying, "He does most of the things under some wrong impression. Everything that he promises is without analysis. He believes he is all in one - be it relating to mastering economy or foreign affairs. All the time he talks without analysis."
