New Delhi, Mar 23 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday launched a sharp critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of avoiding key national and international issues while focusing on self-praise.
In a post on X, Ramesh described the Prime Minister’s speech as “uncharacteristically short” and alleged that it was “a master class in self-boasts, cowardice and partisan dialogue-baazi.” He expressed particular concern over what he called the Prime Minister’s silence on the escalating tensions in West Asia, especially the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
“Not a single word was uttered in condemnation of the continued US-Israeli air assaults on Iran,” Ramesh said, adding that while Iran’s actions in targeting Gulf countries and the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz were “completely unacceptable,” so too was “the relentless bombing of Iran with the objective of regime change and state collapse.”
The Congress leader also took aim at the government’s economic narrative, challenging the Prime Minister’s claims about India’s growth performance. He pointed to recent remarks made by a former Chief Economic Advisor, who reportedly warned that economic growth figures during Modi’s tenure may have been significantly overestimated. “The PM seems to believe that if he doesn’t engage with this very credible and disturbing report, he can wish it away,” Ramesh said.
Ramesh further criticised the Prime Minister’s reference to the COVID-19 pandemic during his speech, calling the government’s handling of the crisis “uniquely catastrophic.” He invoked images of widespread distress during that period, including migrant workers walking long distances to return home, deaths linked to oxygen shortages, and large-scale unemployment.
“The nation cannot forget the deeply depressing scenes which became all too normal then,” he said, adding that the country must ensure better preparedness in the future.
The remarks come amid heightened political exchanges between the government and the opposition, with debates in Parliament increasingly reflecting broader disagreements over foreign policy, economic management, and the legacy of the pandemic response.
