New Delhi witnessed a fiery speech in the Rajya Sabha on Monday as Congress MP Digvijaya Singh tore into the government’s handling of the President’s address. He painted a grim picture of India’s social fabric unraveling, with communal harmony eroding fast and economic disparities widening to unprecedented levels.
Singh didn’t mince words, questioning if minorities are truly getting justice in a country where constitutional equality is promised. ‘Homes are being bulldozed based on religion,’ he charged, emphasizing that while criminals must face punishment, innocent families shouldn’t suffer.
He spotlighted cases like Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, languishing in jail for four years without even a chargesheet. On hate speech, Singh challenged the government: will they demand the Assam Chief Minister’s resignation for inflammatory remarks?
The Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest drew sharp criticism too. ‘A respected figure demanding Sixth Schedule implementation—a pre-election promise—has been jailed for over 100 days without reason,’ Singh lamented, asking if this is justice for all.
Economic woes took center stage as Singh cited stark data: India’s top 10% control 58% of national income and 65% of wealth, while the bottom 50% scrape by with just 15% income and 6.4% assets. Worse, he claimed current inequality surpasses British colonial times.
‘Corporate tax contributions are dwarfed by what ordinary citizens pay—this is an anti-poor, anti-worker, anti-farmer regime,’ Singh asserted. He decried shrinking constitutional rights, rising duties, job outsourcing without security, and the plight of SC/ST communities.
National security failures loomed large: China occupies 2,000 sq km of Indian land, controlling 26 of 65 patrolling points in eastern Ladakh. Singh warned of democracy in peril, fueled by radical forces stoking Hindu-Muslim divides and eroding post-independence harmony.
Farmers’ incomes haven’t doubled as pledged, over a lakh government schools have shut, and laborers suffer amid chaos. Singh urged the government to prioritize social cohesion, economic equity, and genuine development for all.