Continuing with its barbs against the NDA Government, which is celebrating its one year in office on Monday, the Congress on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been only boasting about his Government to confuse and mislead people across the world.
The party also alleged that the one-year-old dispensation at the Centre suffers from policy-paralysis, and thus it can only be congratulated for making news round the year.
The party also challenged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his tall claims on improving economic scenario of the country and also upped its ante against the Modi Government over the Rafale deal. It questioned why the State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics ltd was kept out of the agreement for the purchase of the fighter jets.
Taking a jibe at the Finance Minister’s claim that national mood has reversed, Congress leader and Former Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma on Sunday said it is true that the nation had high hopes but now it is totally reverse. “There is arrogance and insensitivity among the ruling class. I have no hesitation to say that in this one year of the BJP rule the government has proved to be anti-poor and anti-people, anti-SC/ST, anti women and anti-education,’’ he said.
Sharma alleged that the Government had no hesitation in cutting down budget allocation for the social sector by as much as 59 per cent. He regretted the fact that core sector growth had dropped. Exports from the country has dropped a great deal.
“One year ago there was a tsunami of promises and dreams by the BJP before the elections. But once the BJP came to power it forgot everything. Since then there has been a complete reversal of the promised policies and programmes,’’ said the Deputy leader of Opposition.
Three major empowerment schemes — Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and Mobile Telephony — were brought in the country by the UPA Government albeit in different names and the Modi Government has only changed names or repackaged the schemes.
“Ninety crore people in the country had mobile telephones. As many as 24 crore people had zero frills bank accounts prior to the present Government. These were done under the Congress led UPA Government and not under the one-year rule of the BJP Government,” said Sharma also crediting the PM of mastering the art of repackaging and publicity.
Congress also alleged there has been serious policy paralysis in the Modi dispensation due to “centralisation” of power. Sharma mentioned a number of top posts in diverse fields including lokpal, CVC, CIC and DRDO and in a dozen scientific institutions, that are lying vacant for long.
Targeting the Centre, Congress also said that as per the earlier arrangement, HAl was to manufacture 108 jets through transfer of technology from the French company. “Then why was HAl kept out of the government-to-government agreement despite the fact that the State-owned company has assembly lines in view of its old collaboration with France on the Mirage dealIJ” Sharma stated.
This was the second day running on which Congress raised questions over the fighter jet deal. During his visit to France last month, Modi had signed an agreement for buying 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition at a cost of over USD 6 billion. Former Defence Minister AK Antony had raised several questions over the deal as he wondered whether the Finance Ministry and Defence Acquisition Council were taken on board while clinching the agreement with France.