Congress releases 'Black Paper' on Modi government's failure ahead of White Paper 'on lost decade'

The Congress President's move comes on a day when it is expected that the NDA government will present the White Paper, mentioned by Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman during the interim budget, in the Parliament.

New Delhi: Congress on Thursday unveiled a 'Black Paper' on the ten years of Narendra Modi rule, accusing it of “devastating” country's economy, “aggravating” unemployment, “destroying” agriculture sector and “committing grave social injustice” in ten years even as the Prime Minister described it as a kaala teeka to ward of evils on their good work.

The 'Black Paper' also spoke about Modani Raj, alluding to a close relationship between Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani, while claiming that regulatory and investigative agencies remain asleep to help “cronies” in every strategic sector.

The 54-page 10 Saal, Anyay Kaal: 2014-2024 (Ten Years of Injustice: 2014-2024), published ahead of the government tabling a White Paper on UPA era in Parliament, was released by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge who accused Modi of not walking the talk but “speaking the language of division, orchestrating riots and instigating people”.

In a spirited counter to the ruling BJP, Kharge said it is more important to talk about what you are doing at present than criticising Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. He said Congress “ensured the country's independence and in 2024, it will take the country out of BJP's darkness of injustice.”

Accusing Modi of hiding his failures when he speaks inside and outside Parliament, he told a press conference, “it is one thing to abuse Congress but you are not doing anything to control price rise. Speaking eloquently is one thing but tackling price rise and creating jobs etc are different.”

Soon after, Modi shot back in Rajya Sabha saying, “whenever a good thing happens, we apply the kaala teeka (to ward off the evil eye), and I thank Kharge-ji for doing this honour today. When the country is touching new heights in the last ten years, we take it as kaala teeka to help ward off the evil eye”. Being an elder, he added, Kharge has put the kaala teeka for the good work being done by his government.

Highlighting the social, economic and political “injustices” committed in the last ten years, the 'Black Paper' spoke about “unemployment, price rise, farmers' distress, failure to carry out a caste census and injustice to women”.

The country witnessed the highest unemployment rate in 45 years during Modi’s tenure, it said, claiming that unemployed people counted one crore in 2012 but it rose to around four crore in 2022.

“The Modi government’s tenure is marked by high rates of unemployment, economic catastrophes, such as demonetisation and flawed GST, which have only increased the divide between the rich and the poor and devastated the future of millions of farmers and daily wage workers,” it said.

The document called the 2016 demonetisation a “blunder” and “disastrous” move that “continue to haunt the country”, while claiming that Modi's guarantee to provide two crore jobs and ensure Minimum Support Price to farmers were also not fulfilled.

The ‘Black Paper’ also claimed that India has become “electoral autocracy” citing a report while insisting that federalism was weakened by the Modi government. It also claimed that the Modi government’s tenure has witnessed “blatant discrimination and severe oppression” against women, Dalits, tribals and minorities”.