Even little girls are not safe and the culprits are being saved: Sonia Gandhi at Jan Aakrosh rally

Making her first public appearance after recuperating from ailments, former Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said roots of corruption have become stronger under the BJP-led NDA regime. She questioned PM Modi on his commitment to root out corruption. "All the promises made by Modiji have turned out to be hollow and false. Modiji had said 'Na khaunga na khane dunga' (Neither will I take bribes, nor let others do). But corruption has increased," she said.

She also raised the issue of alleged government interference in judiciary, muzzling dissenting voices, weakening institutions and dividing communities eyeing electoral gains. "Judiciary is passing through an unprecedented crisis. Media can't play its role, it is being stopped from doing so... It is a sensitive phase we need to take seriously... we will fight this on behalf of the people," she said. She also charged that rapists are being shielded, while unemployment level is rising high and farmers are committing suicide.

"Youth were promised two crore jobs. But nothing happened, they are still looking for jobs, and they know they have been betrayed by Modi Ji. Atrocities on women have increased so much that even little girls are not safe and the culprits are being saved under this government," she added. She also urged the nation to unite under the leadership of her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi to defeat the BJP regime.

"The Congress leadership that fought for freedom envisioned a new India founded on values of truth, love and non-violence. But what has happened in the last four years? Today falsehood, hatred, anger and violence are the order of the day. Those who raise their voice against this face the wrath of the Modi government," she said, adding the government is taking parliamentary majority as a licence to do whatever it likes. "They think it is their right to crush any dissent. The democratic institutions were nurtured over 60 to 65 years. But ever since this government has come to power, it has left no stone unturned in weakening them," she added. "Those who want to impose their whims instead of the rule of law, those who want to destroy the pluralistic culture of this country, we will have to fight against them together," she said. Terming the Modi government as "directionless and anti-people", Gandhi said it had betrayed the people by making false promises.