Words don't match fact

Sir — This refers to the article, “Slash, burn and destroy before you’re voted out” (April 4) by Gautam Mukherjee. We are witnessing an interesting phenomenon in which two UPA leaders, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry annual meet, tried to paint an optimistic picture of India and its economy, lamenting widespread negativism, whereas one of your columnists, Gautam Mukherjee (April 4), highlighted the disastrous consequences of the UPA Government’s flawed and destructive policies.

Mr Mukherjee has accused the UPA Government of recklessness in ruining the Indian economy by unimaginative, wasteful policies and increasing welfare expenditure when incomes are falling! He has quoted columnist Surjit Bhalla, who, in a recent article for another English daily, has similarly indicted Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her extravagant schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The funds siphoned off from the scheme are mostly pocketed by corrupt bureaucrats and middlemen, and the money fails to reach the targeted beneficiaries. These projects have the potential to annihilate the grand old party.