Amit Shah raises questions over efficacy of multi-party democracy

In remarks that could stir a controversy, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday raised questions on whether the multi-party parliamentary democratic system has succeeded in the country.

"Seventy years after Independence, people of the nation had doubts in their mind if the multi-party parliamentary democratic system had failed. Will it be able to meet our goals? They were disappointed," he said at an event here.

The BJP chief said that the constitution-makers had adopted multi-party democratic system after studying various democracies across the world with an aim to further the national progress so that people get equal rights and prosper.

Taking a dig at the erstwhile Congress government, he said that during their tenure, there used to be news of corruption every day, borders were insecure, soldiers were beheaded, women felt unsafe and people protested on the roads every day.

"The government was politically paralysed. No decisions were taken," he said, adding that the government was such that every minister considered himself as Prime Minister but did not look at the actual Prime Minister as one.

Shah said that unlike the erstwhile government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government never took any decision for "vote bank" but rather for the benefit of the people.

"Some governments work for 30 years and take one big decision, but our government worked for five years and took over 50 major decisions, including GST, demonetisation, airstrikes, etc. No one else dared take it during their tenure," said the Union Minister.