'Height of hypocrisy': Cong on PM jibe over lawyers' letter

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of hypocrisy and "manipulating" democracy, after his criticising the party over a lawyers' letter to the chief justice of India against a "vested interest group."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Modi of "bullying" every institution into submission, "manipulating" democracy, and hurting the Constitution.

"PM Narendra Modi ji, You are talking about Judiciary. You conveniently forget that 4 senior-most Supreme Court judges were forced to hold an unprecedented press conference and warn against 'destruction of Democracy'. That happened under your regime.

"One of the judges was nominated by your Government to the Rajya Sabha. So who wants a 'committed judiciary'? You forget that your party has fielded a former HC Judge in West Bengal for the current Lok Sabha elections. Why was this candidature bestowed on him," he asked.

"Modi ji, Institution after Institution is being 'bullied' by you into submission, so stop pinning the blame on the Congress party! "You have mastered the art of manipulating Democracy and hurting the Constitution," he alleged.