Party says NaMo’s 100-day performance disappointing
Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi a dream merchant who came to power by selling false hopes, the Congress on Tuesday said his 100 days’ performance has been disappointing. The party, which was denied the leader of Opposition post in the lok Sabha last month, also took the opportunity to accuse the NDA Government of “systematic and planned subversion of institutions” and involving in “administrative terrorism”.
Attacking the Government, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma, however, heaped praise on party’s second-in-command Rahul Gandhi for not taking the lofty and false promises like BJP’s to the people. “Modi sold false dreams that cannot be realised. He promised all things to all people. Rahul did not do it. He did not give false assurances and refused to be a dream merchant. Rahul is sincere and hence, he did not do all this,” Sharma said at the AICC briefing.
He said the Government’s functioning has, so far, been “characterised by non-fulfilment of promises, undermining of institutions, compromising of administration and governance and promotion of work culture nurtured by distrust and fear”. The former Commerce Minister also asked the Prime Minister to “explain why 18 of his Ministers are facing serious criminal charges compelling the Supreme Court to observe that it is for the Prime Minister to ensure that those having criminal charges are not promoted”.
Sharma highlighted the fact that the Government data itself shows that food inflation rose to 9.36 per cent in July from the previous 7.90 per cent in June. “The Government is claiming credit for 5.75 per cent GDP growth rate for the first quarter of the current financial year as one of the biggest achievements in 100 days. They have conveniently forgotten that the figures are for the first quarter (April 1 to June 30) during which they were in power only for 35 days and UPA was for 55 days. If they have done this in 35 days, then our country should surpass China very soon,” he said sarcastically.
Citing examples of the Government rejecting the name of former AG Gopal Subramaniam for appointment in the Supreme Court giving a “snub” to the collegium system of the Supreme Court, Sharma said there was complete subversion of institutions. As per the bureaucracy, Sharma alleged, “there was administrative terrorism” in the Government’s functioning, and Constitutional rights of the civil servants were being “assaulted” by releasing circulars about not appointing those officers, who had served in the previous regime.
Attacking the Government on the black money issue, he said while the BJP promised to bring back black money, which was according to them to the tune of Rs 85 lakh crore, “even 85 paisa are yet to come while the Government is completing 100 days”. Expressing concern over the situation along borders with Pakistan and China, Sharma said there were ceasefire violations day in and day out from Islamabad, which was witnessed only before the Kargil conflict.