The Opposition parties on Monday highlighted income inequality, denial of social justice and hatred against minorities as issues threatening internal security and democracy in India.

During a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President’s address to the joint session of Parliament, the Opposition also accused the Narendra Modi government of imposing Hindi and Sanskrit on southern states.

Congress MP Digvijay Singh said the government’s slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Biswas, Sabka Prayas” sounded hollow against the backdrop of the treatment meted out to the poor, minorities, SCs, STs and OBCs.

“Social disharmony and economic inequalities are rising. People's houses are being demolished on the basis of religion. If someone has done something wrong, why should the family members suffer?” Singh said.

He cited the denial of bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riot conspiracy case despite them having spent over five years in jail without trial.

Singh said environmental activist Sonum Wangchuk had been arrested for raising people's issues and asked the government to clarify whether China had occupied 2000sqkm of land within the Indian territory.

The Congress MP wanted to know what action the Centre was mulling against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for asserting that "Miyas" would face "trouble" as long as he was in power in the state.

Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose said there had been an increase in hate speeches against religious minorities. She said history textbooks for schoolchildren were being rewritten along ideological lines.

Ghose cited a series of reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General tabled in 2025, claiming that the CAG had flagged "fraud" amounting to thousands of crores in the much-touted direct benefit transfer scheme and “irregularities” in the Skill India Mission.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva accused the Centre of Hindi and Sanskrit imposition through the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP). The Tamil Nadu government has prepared its own State Education Policy, allowing the continuation of Tamil and English.

Siva said the poor are getting poorer. He quoted the World Inequality Report to argue that the top 10 per cent of Indians were pocketing 58 per cent of the national income while the bottom 50 per cent were earning only 15 per cent. Ten per cent of Indians are owners of 65 per cent of national wealth while the top 1 per cent own 40 per cent of it, he said.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the radical communal ideology was dividing the nation. “We have to destroy hate politics. We have to kill the ideology that killed Mahatma Gandhi,” Singh said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded an impartial inquiry into the death of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

“Ajit Pawar had said on January 15 that BJP workers had benefited from the irrigation scam and that he had the files. He had those files with him when he was going to Baramati. But he died in the crash. There should be an independent inquiry,” Raut said.

Nominated member Sadanandan Master, who uses artificial limbs after losing his legs in political violence in Kerala, placed the prosthetic limbs on the table while taking part in the discussion.

Recalling the attacks on him by CPM workers, he said democracy was threatened by violence.

CPM MP John Brittas protested the display of artificial limbs, saying Master himself was an accused in several cases of violence.