Mumbai, May 25: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has sharply reacted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi‘s statement claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not remain in power for more than a year. Nirupam described the idea of the government collapsing within a year as laughable.
In a conversation, Nirupam stated that under India’s constitutional framework, governments are elected for five years, and the public granted the Modi government the right to govern for five years with a clear mandate in 2024. He emphasized that if Rahul Gandhi is dreaming of the government falling within a year, it reflects the opposition’s loss of confidence in its ability to gain power through elections.
Nirupam warned that if the opposition attempts to create instability through undemocratic means to topple the government, it is a dangerous mindset. He urged Congress and other opposition parties to adopt democratic and legal methods to come to power.
He cautioned that if the opposition takes a non-democratic route, the public will push them to the margins of politics for years to come. He noted that the opposition has been out of power for the past 12 years, and if such politics continues, their position may weaken further.
In light of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s praise for Prime Minister Modi’s relations with the Maldives, Nirupam commended the central government’s diplomatic efforts. He pointed out that after a change of government in the Maldives, the new administration initially tried to distance itself from India under Chinese influence. However, due to Modi’s diplomatic initiatives, relations between the two countries have significantly improved.
Nirupam highlighted that the Maldivian economy is primarily tourism-based, with a substantial contribution from Indian tourists, making it in the Maldives’ interest to maintain good relations with India. He reiterated that India has always worked towards fostering better relations with its neighboring countries.
On the issue of unemployment, Nirupam remarked that it has long been a significant challenge in India, primarily due to the country’s large population. Approximately 1 to 1.2 million youth enter the job market every month, while around 10 million prepare for employment each year.
He acknowledged that both central and state governments have not been able to completely eradicate the problem of unemployment. However, he also noted that this issue is not solely a problem of the current governments but has been faced by the country since before independence.