New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre over the suspension of 141 MPs from Parliament, saying that democracy has been strangulated, and also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for distorting history.

She slammed Prime Minister Modi and the government for distorting history and twisting historical facts just to defame great patriots like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and also said that this will not intimidate or cow them down.

Addressing the party MPs at the General Body meeting of the Congress Parliament Party (CPP), Sonia Gandhi said, “Democracy has been strangulated by this government.”

She said that never before have so many opposition members of Parliament been suspended from the House, and that too, simply for raising a perfectly reasonable and legitimate demand.

“All that the opposition Members of Parliament asked for was a statement to be made by the Home Minister in the Lok Sabha addressing the extraordinary events of December 13. There are no words to describe the arrogance with which this request was treated,” the Congress leader said.

Referring to the security breach in the Lok Sabha on December 13, she said, “What happened on December 13 is inexcusable and cannot be justified. It took four days for the Prime Minister to address the nation and express his views on the incident, and he did so outside of the Parliament.

“By doing so, he clearly indicated his disdain for the dignity of the House and his disregard for the people of our country. I leave it to you to imagine how the BJP would have responded had they been in opposition today,” she said.

Sonia Gandhi also said that this session has seen the passage of some important Bills relating to Jammu and Kashmir.

“Those who distort history and twist historical facts just to defame great patriots like (Pandit) Jawaharlal Nehru have been running a relentless campaign. In these efforts, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have taken the lead themselves, but we will not be intimidated or cowed down. We will persist in telling the truth.

The Congress leader said, “Our position on Jammu and Kashmir has been clear and consistent. Full statehood must be restored immediately, and elections must be held at the earliest. The aspirations of the people of Ladakh are equally important, they must be addressed and shown the respect they deserve.”

She also said that we believe that the passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill with a rider – that it shall only be implemented after delimitation or a census, is an eyewash intended to mislead women and garner their votes while reneging on that which is rightfully owed to them.

“Women’s representation in Parliament is long overdue. There is no time to waste. It is our firm belief that reservation for women must be implemented immediately and it should cover women belonging to all communities, including the OBC community,” she said.

She also congratulated party colleagues in Telangana for working towards the Assembly elections with dedication and determination.

“The people of Telangana have given us a clear mandate. We must strive our utmost to fulfill their trust and confidence,” Sonia Gandhi said.

She also said that she was happy that the Winter Session saw the passage of the Bill to establish a Central Tribal University in Telangana. “This was a commitment enshrined in the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act, 2014. It has taken a government that prides itself for its efficiency, nine long years to fulfill that promise, she said slamming the BJP government at the Centre.

To say that the Assembly election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been very disappointing for our party is an understatement, she said, adding that the Congress President has already had a first round of reviews to understand the reasons for our poor performance and draw the needed lessons for our organisation.

“We are facing enormous challenges, yet I am confident that our fortitude and resilience will see us through. Our ideology and our values are our guiding light at this difficult time. We must never forget that our leaders fought against insurmountable odds, with great courage and fortitude, to give us our freedom,” the Congress leader said.