Modi govt renamed and inaugurated UPA projects in 3 years: Shiv Sena

Sena asks if the common man and farmers were part of the BJP's third anniversary celebrations

The Shiv Sena, a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Monday said the Narendra Modi government only "inaugurated and renamed" the projects started by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) dispensation and nothing new, barring demonetisation, has been achieved in its three years in office.

The Sena, a constituent of the NDA government, also asked if the common man and farmers, who were among the worst hit by demonetisation, were part of its third anniversary celebrations.

Apart from the note ban, nothing new has been done by the government, the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"Some important and big projects were started by the previous government and they were just being inaugurated and renamed with vigour," it said, citing the examples of the Bhupen Hazarika Dhola-Sadiya bridge in Assam and the Chenani-Nashri tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Modi government's "bold and ambitious" decision to scrap high-value notes led to a lull in industrial activities and large-scale job cuts in the information technology (IT) segment, the party said.

The note ban came as a blow to farmers, who are finding it hard to get agriculture loans ahead of the kharif season, the Marathi daily said.

It has been over six months since demonetisation was announced. The decision badly affected the district co-operative banks, which are a key source of farm loans.

The government is happy over the bull run in the stock market, but appears unperturbed about distressed farmers and "destruction" of district co-operative banks, it said.

The Sena mouthpiece also hit out at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over the scrapping of the high value notes.

"Who gave the RBI the right to throw into dustbin the hard earned money of farmers?" it asked.