Congress attacks BJP govt on declining rupee value

Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi said when UPA demitted office it was at Rs 58.5 while it's at Rs 63.5 currently

The declining value of the rupee has provided an opportunity to the Congress to attack the ruling Narendra Modi government. On a day, the exchange rate touched 63.57 to a dollar, the Congress said when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had demitted office, the rate was at 58.5.

“We now wish to ask the prime minister whose age in the council of ministers does this figure (63.5) reflect,” asked spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi. He recalled how it was Narendra Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister, who had ridiculed the Congress government when the rupee had plummeted by asking whose age in the Congress was the falling rupee representing.   

Over the past 10 days the rupee has been tumbling consistently and now stands at Rs 63.57 against a dollar.

“Blatant jingoism of promising to restore India’s status in the international arena and a 56-inch chest, it appears is not enough to set the economy right,” he said.

The Congress further attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for allegedly cutting down on the Union health budget by as much as 20 per cent. “Is it time for us to take out another booklet on the BJP government’s U-turns? In the BJP manifesto in the run up to the 2014 polls, they had promised that if given a clear mandate they would provide accessible and affordable health care. But now in one fell sweep they have decided this cut back,” said Singhvi.

The silence of the government the whole of the past week on media reports highlighting this, only goes to prove the accuracy of the reports, said Singhvi.