Campaigning for Congress candidates in different Vidhan Sabha constituencies, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Rajya Sabha member, former Union Minister Anand Sharma targeted the performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union Government so far, lambasting it for economic and other deterioration affecting the whole nation including Uttarakhand. Terming the demonetisation move the “scam of the century”, Sharma said that if elected to the Centre, the Congress will go for a Supreme Court monitored investigation of demonetisation and related aspects.
Addressing the media at a local hotel, MP and former union minister Anand Sharma said that the Vidhan Sabha election in Uttarakhand is all the more important considering the deteriorating situation across the nation. He said, “It is important that the people of Uttarakhand who are going to vote soon, be made aware of the reality behind the image presented by prime minister Narendra Modi. Following the 2013 disaster in Kedarnath, the then UPA government had allocated Rs 6,000 crore for relief and reconstruction works in the state but after 2014 till the present, the BJP led NDA government at the centre has not given any money for relief and reconstruction in the state. I am not making an allegation but making a statement responsibly as the BJP-led Central Government has treated Congress-led state governments with a negative bias. On May 16, the Modi government will complete three years in office and in this duration, it has done little more than making promises and focusing on publicity,” he said, while opining that the prime minister was fond of using bombastic words and jargon to impress.
Elaborately criticising the demonetisation move of the Central Government, Sharma termed it an autocratic decision of the prime minister. The stated purposes for which the demonetisation move was implemented have not been met yet, he averred. “It is said that all cash is not black money and black money is not cash. Black money is in the form of bullion, gold, stocks, real estate etc while the demonetisation affected the honestly and hard earned money of the people, who faced restraints in accessing their own money in banks. It was an ill planned move with poor preparation which resulted in problems which were faced by the people of India except the rich who did not face any such problems.” The former union minister cited various figures and reports to stress that demonetisation had resulted in loss of jobs, decreased industrial activity and had not affected corruption while exerting a detrimental effect on the nation’s economy. “The prime minister should not be a Pay TM ambassador but should focus on the health of banks instead,” he said while adding that demonetisation had dented the prestige of the Reserve Bank of India and affected public’s faith in banks.
Earlier, addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh also lambasted the BJP-led Union Government.