Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal and others during the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting. Pics/PTI
Addressing the newly elected MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament, she said far from taking responsibility for the failure, the prime minister intends to get himself sworn in again on Sunday
"We do not expect him to change the substance and style of his governance, nor take cognisance of the will of the people," Sonia Gandhi said
She said the prime minister had sought the mandate solely in his name to the exclusion of both his party and its allies, but has suffered a political and moral defeat
"In reality, he has lost the mandate he sought and thereby has lost the right to leadership as well. Yet, far from taking the responsibility for failure he intends to get himself sworn in again tomorrow. We do not expect him to change the substance and style of his governance, nor take cognisance of the will of the people," she said
"That is why, as members of the CPP, we have a special obligation to be watchful, vigilant and proactive in holding him and his new NDA government accountable
"No longer can and should bulldoze Parliament like it has been for a decade now. No longer will the writ of the ruling establishment be permitted to disrupt Parliament, whimsically mistreat members or push through legislation without due and proper consideration and debate
"No longer can and should parliamentary committees be ignored or by-passed like they have been since 2014. No longer will Parliament be muzzled and stifled as it has been over the past 10 years," the CPP chief said
Observing that the times ahead were challenging, she told the Congress MPs that they have to be alert to prevent any attempts to increase polarisation and erosion of secular and democratic values enshrined in our Constitution by the ruling cabal
The Congress leader also said the Congress is also being bolstered by the strength of the INDIA bloc allies
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