Cong criticises PM for not visiting C'garh

AICC general secretary and Congress in-charge of Jharkhand, B K Hariprasad today criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to visit Chhattisgarh and meet the families of the victims of botched sterilisation surgeries, but having time for foreign visits.
"17 poor tribal women died in the botched sterilisation surgeries but the Prime Minister did not yet visit the affected families," Hariprasad told a press conference here.
Hariprasad alleged that Modi had visited Australia recently only to benefit a particular businessman and get Rs 6,000 crore bank loan sanctioned in his (businessman's) favor in order to develop a mine there.
"Governance is not mere marketing strategy... The visit would have been appreciated if it was meant to strengthen the diplomatic and bilateral ties with the nation. But unfortunately, his visit was only aimed to benefit a businessman," he said.

Naming the Adani group of companies in this context, Hariprasad said had it been a business tour of the Prime Minister, he would have had a complete team of businessmen accompanying him to Australia and not only one.
Referring to Modi government's performance in the last six months since coming to power, he said the government has failed to keep its promise on bringing back black money stashed abroad. Opposition parties have taken up the issue seriously in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

Besides, the government did nothing for the farmers, labourers and poorer section of the society, he alleged.

Flaying BJP for appointing Amit Shah as party president, the Congress leader said he was an "absconder" and enquiry against him in Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case was still pending in Mumbai and Gujarat High courts.
"It is below the dignity of a party (to appoint Shah)," he said.
About Shah's comments against AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi at an election meeting in Jharkhand recently, Hariprasad said he did not have any issue and agenda for the state but deliberately attacked the Congress leader only to attract crowd attention.
"The country does not run on mere political gimmicks," he said and expressed confidence that Congress would fare well in the ensuing assembly poll in Jharkhand.