Does PM Modi condone 'attack' on Kanhaiya Kumar, asks Congress

The Congress demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday on whether he condones a violent attack on the opposition party's Lok Sabha poll candidate, Kanhaiya Kumar, allegedly by an associate of BJP leader Manoj Tiwari and what happened to the plan to clean the Yamuna.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asked what has the prime minister done to curb the high crime rates in North East Delhi.

The questions were asked on the day Modi addressed a poll rally in east delhi.

''Today's questions for the outgoing PM's visit to North-East Delhi: Does the PM condone the violent assault on Kanhaiya Kumar by MP Manoj Tiwari's associate? Why has the Modi Sarkar failed to contain the high rates of crime in Northeast Delhi? What happened to MP Manoj Tiwari's clean Yamuna plans? Ramesh alleged that Kumar, the INDIA opposition bloc's poll candidate from North East Delhi, was assaulted in a pre-planned attack by a goonda linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The attacker has previously shared the podium with Tiwari, the incumbent MP from North East Delhi, and was even arrested three months ago for attempting to foment communal violence, the Congress leader alleged.

''Does the outgoing PM condone this violence? Will he have the courage to disown Manoj Tiwari and his association with the accused? Will he commit to taking action against the accused? Or was the assault an instance of the PM's general strategy of intimidating and browbeating the Opposition?'' Ramesh asked.

He pointed out that the Delhi Police comes under the purview of the Union home ministry and the rapidly-increasing incidents of crime in the Lok Sabha segment are therefore a direct responsibility of the Modi government.

''Women bear the brunt of this breakdown in law and order. The average crime rate against women in North East Delhi district is 1,148 per year, twice the overall Delhi average. Petty theft, such as pickpocketing and chain-snatching, is particularly rampant. The drug trade has emerged as another key issue, particularly in Gokulpuri and Seemapuri areas. It often occurs with the full connivance of the Delhi Police. Why has the Modi Sarkar failed to contain the high rates of crime in Northeast Delhi?'' the Congress leader asked.

He also asked whether Tiwari's ambitious plan for a clean Yamuna, with seaplanes landing on the river, has turned out to be a ''jumla'' (rhetoric). Ramesh said 12 of the 18 major drains in Delhi are still discharging untreated water into the Yamuna.

''The promised dam was never built, and even boats, let alone seaplanes, will have difficulty navigating the river. The Delhi stretch of the Yamuna continues to remain the most polluted. What does the outgoing PM have to say about MP Manoj Tiwari's empty promises?'' he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)