Modi Govt responsible for climate of hatred in country, says Shashi Tharoor

A day after a Jamia Millia Islamia student was injured in firing, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday expressed shock and held the NDA government responsible for "creating a climate of hatred" in the country.

"This government is responsible for creating a climate of hatred, wherein certain people feel they are empowered to fire at peaceful protesters. It is really shocking and very disappointing. Certainly, the police should take action," the Congress leader told reporters.

A young man was arrested for Thursday's shooting in the Jamia area in Delhi ahead of a student march from Jamia Millia Islamia to Rajghat.

Tharoor asserted that peaceful protests have been held in the country since the time of Mahatma Gandhi. "When the people are protesting, there is no need to spread violence. Now, we have a shooting incident on the day of assassination of Mahatma Gandhi," he said to reporters after President Ram Nath Kovind's address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget session.

The Congress leader also claimed that President Ram Nath Kovind's address was "disappointing" and that the NDA government was unable to fulfil its promises to the public.

"The President's speech was disappointing. He spoke about what the government wrote. The speech was full of fake promises. We all know that the government has not fulfilled any promise made to the people. And we are seeing that they are holding out the promise of achieving a 5-trillion dollar Indian economy," Tharoor added.

On the Congress plan to oppose the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens in Parliament, the former Union Minister said: "We have been giving voice to the citizens in Parliament. I have participated in number of marches across the country. I can tell you that we are very actively engaged on this issue and are very determined to try to find some solution."

As for the opposition's sloganeering during the President's speech, he maintained that the Congress MPs neither said anything nor brandished any placard. "However, Congress MPs did sport black armbands in protest."

Tharoor pointed that members of other opposition parties raised slogans in the House, but maintained that they did nothing wrong. "The situation in the country is very bad. People need to speak out their minds," he said.