At CWC, Manmohan rejects culture of 'constant self-praise, jumlas'

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh today rejected what he called was a "culture of constant self-praise and jumlas" as he underlined the need for a solid policy framework to address the issues facing the country.

He said that he would support Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the task of "restoring" India's social harmony and economic development.

Speaking at the first meeting of the extended Congress Working Committee, which included chief ministers, state unit chiefs and CLP leaders, he said the NDA government's target of doubling farmers' income by 2022 will require an agricultural growth rate of 14 per cent, "which is nowhere in sight".

"I reject the culture of constant self-praise and jumlas as against solid policy framework to address the issues facing the country and to propel and drive the engine of growth and economy as well as people's wellbeing," he said.

"We will support Rahul Gandhi in his onerous task of restoring India's social harmony and economic development," he said.

Later, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told a press conference that the former prime minister also said that the GDP growth during the entire tenure of the UPA, when Singh was at the helm of the government, was 7.4 per cent, but it's 7.1 per cent under the NDA, even on changed parameters.

"He pointed out that if the present NDA government was to match the performance of the UPA in the last year, it would have to achieve a GDP growth of over 10.5 per cent which is an impossibility, considering the economic downturn and the mess created by the prime minister," Surjewala said quoting Singh.