On New Year’s day, renewing the never ending love affair between the Congress and BJP, senior Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram mounted a scathing attack against the Modi-led NDA government.
Rubbishing the claims made by the union ministers and BJP politicians of bringing 'acche din’, the veteran Congress man claimed that the current government has failed the people of the country in all aspects.
Excerpts from what P Chidamabaram said:
Economy
Training his gun on the BJP-led government over the issue of the country’s economic condition, he claimed that the government had failed to realize its promises on jobs and infrastructural developments.
He said, “GDP growth is not likely to be higher than 7 to 7.3 percent, which means that it will be the same as, or lower than, in 2014-15. The economy is stuck in a groove.”
“The Indian economy is like a car running on two wheels. Exports have recorded twelve successive months of decline compared to the same month of the previous year. This is unprecedented,” he added.
Rural India
Bashing the Narendra Modi government of being insensitive towards rural Indians especially farmers, he alleged that minimum support prices have been kept deliberately low. He further alleged that certain policy decisions have led to stagnation of rural wages and lower production of Rabi crops. He cited the changes in central government schemes on crop insurance, education loans have only worsened the situation.
Umeployment
Being further critical of the government, Chidambaram said inflation, unemployment and growing intolerance have affected people especially women, children and senior citizens. Citing the 26th quarterly employment survey conducted between April and June 2015, he said that rather than adding jobs, people have lost their employment during the current tenure.
Parliamentary matters
Chidambaram said the government was majorly unaccommodating on the Opposition's views on policy matters. He held the government responsible for the delay or lockdown on legislative matters. “The government has shown no willingness to engage with the Opposition on any important issue. Let me remind everyone that we have cooperated with the government in passing 67 and 45 Bills in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively, during the last 19 months. I am afraid the government has only to blame itself and its stubborn and unbending attitude,” he said.
What does PM gain through foreign visits?
The senior Congress leader also questioned the government’s policy on Pakistan, saying that the government itself is clueless with numerous U-turns, and impulsive steps. He added that India had lost ground in terms of reputation on the Nepal crisis.
“The people of India are not impressed by the numerous visits made by the Prime Minister to foreign countries. People have begun to ask hard questions on the gains made through these visits. When anything is overdone, there are not only diminishing returns, but it also invites ridicule,” he concluded.