Mamata opposes disinvestment drive, says PM should talk to all

Opposing the Centre's decision to hive off and disinvest shares in several PSUs, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should talk to experts and all political parties to tide over the economic crisis.

She asserted that shoring up funds by selling off government stake in central public sector firms (CPSUs) could only provide temporary respite, drawing sharp reaction from the BJP, which said that the CM should focus on Bengal's development "instead of lecturing the Prime Minister on what is right and wrong".

The CPI(M) termed Banerjee's concern over the country's economic crisis as "crocodile tears".

The TMC chief, while talking to reporters here, said, "The Centre should look for a permanent solution instead of advocating stopgap measures. Unless there is economic stability, such measures cannot be the solution."
Iterating her criticism of the Centre's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes in 2016, she said, "India is a country where a cashless society cannot be effective; people do not have money."