Former Union Minister Ajay Makan on Friday slammed the Narendra Modi government’s National Monetization Pipeline (NMP), alleging that selling off assets under it will create monopolies in critical sectors.
Makan was here to address the media to create awareness against the NMP.
“The Modi government is selling off profit making assets which were constructed with hard earned money of people over the past 70 years,” he said.
Alleging that it will create monopolies, he said: "There were no provisions in the process to prevent monopolies emerging in ports, airports, telecom and power sectors."
He opposed provisions for selling strategic assets like roads and railways. This could prove fatal during war and affect the nation's security.
Charging the government with crony capitalism, the Congress leader said the Modi government was trying to benefit "its two corporate friends".
He said the Congress had monetized only non-core and loss-making assets when in power. It always ensured that there will be no monopoly in monetization.
Makan said the Congress had formed a committee headed by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh to formulate a strategy to make the NMP issue a mass movement.