Economist PM failed to check price rise, corruption: BJP

Blaming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not being able to control price rise or end corruption in the UPA government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the “economist Prime Minister had failed in the examination and was now making false promises to the people”.

The BJP-led NDA also argued that the PM had finally agreed to speak to editors and break his silence only to provide a clarification for the scams and on his inability to check price rise.

“One who is offered the crown cannot really govern. The Prime Minister finally decided to speak because he was directed by the Congress Working Committee,” said Sharad Yadav, the NDA convener and chief of Janata Dal (United). The BJP leadership alleged that the Union government was unable to control price rise because of the wrong economic policies, bad governance and repeated scams that have taken place. “This is not the first time when the PM has said that price rise will be controlled. He has said all these things at several other places. The interaction with the media was organised so that he could give clarifications on his failure as PM,” said BJP President Nitin Gadkari.

Gadkari argued that when food grains worthRs 70,000 crore was wasted every year and 50 per cent of the country’s population was earning less thanRs 20 a day, the Prime Minister’s only explanation was that he does not have a magic wand to check price rise.

“The Prime Minister says that prices are going up around the world, but to claim that inflation is increasing globally is wrong. The Congress Party had said in its manifesto before the 2009 elections that it would control price rise but that has not happened,” Gadkari said.

He also refuted charges that the opposition parties were not cooperating with the Union government on the proposed Lok Pal Bill and blamed the Prime Minister for not taking the opposition on board, when the committee was formed with civil society members. “I am not upset that BJP was not included in the committee but the Leaders of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are very important leaders.

The Union government did not consult them on the Lok Pal Bill and now when the talks have failed with civil society members, we are being blamed for not cooperating. We will give our stand when the bill is presented in Parliament,” Gadkari said.