BJP blames Congress for 'policy paralysis', Congress questions promises

The government and opposition locked horns in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with the ruling BJP accusing the Congress of creating a "policy paralysis", while the Congress slammed the government for not keeping its promises.

Moving the motion of thanks to the President for his Address in the Rajya Sabha, union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said the world is now accepting India as the fastest growing economy.

"In 2014 when we took over, the economy was looming and was coupled with a dysfunctional political system," Nadda said.

"It was political paralysis at that point of time, it was a stagnation, from there it had to start. It did not only start it came in a very short span of time it has been seen by the world today," he said.

"We don't only desire and aspire but we deliver."

Nadda mentioned schemes like the Jan Dhan Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana, and said the government is "pro-poor".

"Way back in 1971, it was said that bank nationalisation would benefit the poor, but it was only after 2014 that the government has held the hands of the poor," he said, adding the Jan Dhan Yojana has increased the number of bank account holders to over 21 crore from little over 3 crore.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad cornered the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of not keeping its promises, including that of getting back black money.

He questioned why the government was not naming those who had black money in foreign banks.

"In ten years of UPA, inside and outside the house the government was maligned in the name of black money. Will the BJP apologise for that?" he said.

Azad also said the government is neglecting the rural sector. "In the NDA rule, the rural sector has been neglected."

On the government's target to double farm income by 2022, Azad said: "Who will be in the government then? The present promises are not fulfilled. It would have been nice if you had said it would be done in this tenure. How can you decide on the coming governments?"

The Congress leader also demanded the government bring a legislation to roll back the minimum educational qualification that has been made mandatory for contesting a Panchayat election in Rajasthan and Haryana.