Social cohesion in India under threat: Jyotiraditya Scindia

WASHINGTON: Against the backdrop of the recent Dadri lynching, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia today said social cohesion in certain quarters in India is under threat and a secular environment is important for the country's progress.

"India today is crying for quality execution in timely manner, projects not being delayed.

"It is important to have a secular environment... and to maintain that fabric. The social cohesion in certain quarters in India is under threat," Scindia said here, without specifically mentioning lynching of a 50-year-old man was lynched by a mob in Dadri and his son critically injured last Monday after rumours that they had consumed beef.

The former cabinet minister said that in a democratic system, it is "extremely important to understand" for the party in power to understand that it needs to be "accountable and transparent".

He was speaking during a panel discussion at Brookings Institute - a top American think-tank - that also witnessed participation of four other visiting Members of Parliament.

Scindia along with Gaurav Gogoi from the Indian National Congress, Kalvakuntla Kavitha from TRS, Arpita Ghosh from All India Trinamool Congress and Baijayant "Jay" Panda from the Bjiu Janata Dal are visiting US as part of FICCI's India-US Forum of Parliamentarians (IUFP).

Panda is leading the delegation.

Responding to a question that the last session of Parliament did not function, Scindia said in the last year and half, parliament has worked a lot.

All work of the government is not passed through the parliament, he said, adding: "A lot of work is outside the ambit of the Parliament. The key challenge for India lies in her abilities to execute in the good sense of the world."

Panda noted that just because the government has a mandate in the Lower House, it does not mean that the government can get the bill pass, as it does not have a majority in the Upper House.

"It (the ruling party) has to reach out to the opposition parties to get bills passed. This has not happened. (But) the Government is recognising that they need to reach out," the BJD leader said.

Kavitha hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi lives up to his promise of cooperative federalism.

Gogoi said North East is the new emerging market of India.

"We are seeing this region being used as a bridge to connect India with South East Asia. The only way India can have transport corridor with South East Asia is to invest in infrastructure sector in North East part of India," he said.