Centre's indifference: BJP convenes meeting of its CMs on Sat

The day-long conclave will be held here on August 18 and will be attended by Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and the senior most BJP minister in the Punjab government.

"The Congress-led UPA government has made a mockery of the federal structure and is meting out step-motherly treatment to non-Congress governments. Discrimination is rampant in the allocation of funds or natural resources. Legislations passed by the state legislatures are kept pending at the Central level at will," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters.

Sinha, a former Finance Minister, is the Convenor of the programme which will be inaugurated by party president Nitin Gadkari.

While L K Advani will give the valedictory address, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj will speak on good governance and best practices. Her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley will speak on the country's federal structure.

The Centre's two proposals Direct Tax Code (DTC) and Goods and Services Tax (GST), whose fate are yet to be decided as BJP and its NDA partners are opposing them, may not figure in the meeting, Sinha said.

Asked if the party will discuss on the issue of allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, he said, "This is an entirely irrelevant debate."

Sinha remarked that he could say with "all conviction at his command" that there are "20 other things" by which India could get foreign investment and improve the economy. (More)