Modi govt has not yet risen above sloganeering: JD(U) chief

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government came to power at the Centre by selling dreams to the people and has still not risen above sloganeering, JD(U) President Sharad Yadav alleged on Monday.

Speaking to reporters here, Yadav alleged that the NDA government is still to take any step to deal with raging problems like unemployment among others.

“The Modi government which came to power at the Centre by selling dreams has not been able to rise above sloganeering till now,” Yadav, who was here in connection with a party programme, said

“Though inflation keeps surfacing every now and then... unemployment and lack of work is the biggest challenge. Modi government has not been able to formulate its strategy on this count... Jobless youth and farmers are committing suicide,” he added.

Referring to Modi government’s efforts to attract foreign investment, Yadav said, “It is difficult to compete with China only through foreign investments ... before inviting foreign investments, China had strengthened itself from inside.” Yadav also attacked the central government on its “much-hyped” foreign policy saying that Modi was more interested in giving speeches on foreign soil than taking concrete steps on various issues during his abroad trips.

The so-called successful US trip by Modi is going to prove costly for the people as before his visit, government had asked the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) to withdraw the order by which prices of life-saving drugs were controlled, Yadav said.

“It is being said that such a step had been taken under pressure from the leading US pharmaceutical companies.. this would lead to escalation in prices of diseases like diabetes, heart ailments, TB and cancer,” he claimed.

Yadav said whether it is the insurance sector, railways or security, the Modi government was adopting the same policy of inviting foreign investments as was followed by the previous Manmohan Singh-led government.

Terming the NDA government as a “failure” on the issue of corruption, Yadav said no step has been taken for bringing back black money from foreign banks.

He was also critical of the media saying that it has “failed” to highlight the real plight of people and has been “concentrating on the bullet train and other such hyped schemes which are only for a handful of people”.

To a question on the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, Yadav said, “Though the results would be known later, one thing is clear that 70 per cent people are against BJP-led NDA.”

On the possibility of forming a grand alliance against BJP in Uttar Pradesh on the lines of the one formed in Bihar, he said though it is difficult, efforts would be made in this regard.

Although he refused to comment on the performance of the state government, Yadav appealed to people to make the proposed October 11 dharna against “anti-people” policies of the Samajwadi Party government successful.