What is the value of the Prime Minister's promises from Red Fort: Congress

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation on the Independence Day, Congress today wondered as to what was the use of making promises from the ramparts of the Red Fort if they are “not” being implemented. “My only suggestion to the Prime Minister is that he should speak the truth and give only those assurances which he can fulfill,” party spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters.

Wondering as to what happened to the Prime Minister’s promise to not tolerate communalism, he claimed that in this year alone there have been 2,078 communal incidents in which 38 persons have been killed and 903 injured.

“What is the value of the Prime Minister’s promises from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He has not fulfilled his promises either in part or in full,” Sibal contended.

He said the Prime Minister had in one of his addresses implied he would bring an end to violence against women “but, the sad reality can be seen on the news everyday”.

“A BJP MLC from Bihar molested someone on a moving train, and the PM is silent. There are allegations against BJP members like Harak Singh Rawat. But, PM Modi is silent on this issue,” he said, adding Madhya Pradesh has the highest incidence of violence against women, and the PM has not spoken about it.

He said if Modi calls himself the nation’s watchman, then he shall have to take the responsibility of these atrocities.

Replying to a question on the unrest in Kashmir, Sibal played down the Prime Minister’s reference to PoK being part of Jammu amd Kashmir saying the Parliament had passed a resolution on Feb 22, 1981 insisting “PoK was part of Jammu and Kashmir and therefore it is not a new thing”.