Congress dubs NITI Aayog a 'flop'

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Monday dubbed the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog as a 'flop', adding that the Central government needs to understand the feelings and problems of the state governments rather than harassing them.

"Niti Aayog is a flop. It has not been able to make any significant mark. It, in fact, has been reduced by this government to an exercise in futility. It was a foolish decision of the Central government to do away with the planning commission. This Niti Aayog is only trying to underwrite the doings and undoings of the Modi government," Congress leader Om Prakash Mishra told ANI.

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister's assertion that every state needs to work together for better India, Mishra said the former talks about new India while his supports are trying to create division in the country.

"New India was born in 1947. It has been nurtured through seven decades of Parliamentary democracy. It has been enriched by liberalism, secularism. Modi government is trying to undermine institutions. Modi and his government should rather focus on building up and strengthening the institution, they should attempt to diffuse the conflict situation in many parts of the country and they should not try to harass the opposition. That is how new India actually can further be developed," he added.

Chiming in the matter, Congress leader P.C. Chacko said that Prime Minister Modi should not show favoritism to BJP ruled states and should implement the promises given to the state government.

"In a federal set up the Central government should understand the feelings of the state governments, their problems and difficulties. That is more important. Making a call in the meeting that everybody should work together does not have any meaning at all. Today many chief ministers said that their proposals are pending with the Central government," he told ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra yesterday urged all the states to work with his government as part of Team India and help in identifying goals for 2022.

"The theme of regional imbalance, raised by a number of Chief Ministers has to be addressed on priority, both nationally, and within states," the Prime Minister said at the NITI Aayog's Governing Council meet.

The Prime Minister chaired the third meeting of the NITI Aayog's Governing Council at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, wherein, action taken on decisions of the earlier two meetings, were discussed in detail with special focus on the (Goods and Services Tax) GST and doubling the income of farmers.

As many as 28 Chief Ministers were present during the meet.

Some non-BJP Chief Ministers like Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Mukul Sangma skipped the meet and sent their ministers instead.