Government's measures to stop depreciation of rupee 'half-hearted': Chidambaram
New Delhi, Sep 15 : Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Saturday said the Narendra Modi government's five measures to stop further depreciation of the rupee and widening of the current account deficit (CAD) were "half-hearted and too late".
"Government's five "measures" announced yesterday are half-hearted and too late. Because government was in denial," the former Finance Minister said on Twitter.
"The worsening of the CAD has been evident for several months; yet the government did nothing. The slide in CAD, the FPI outflow, the weakening rupee and the depletion of forex reserves were wake-up calls that were ignored," he added.
To stop further depreciation of the rupee and widening of CAD, the government on Friday took five measures and a broad policy decision to curb non-essential imports and increase exports.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, after holding a detailed discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the government is committed to maintain its fiscal deficit target even as it monitors the impact of external factors on the Indian economy.
"One broad policy decision was to address the issue of expanding current account deficit. The government will take necessary steps to cut down non-essential imports and increase exports," Jaitley told reporters after the high-level meeting.
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Vijayan calls Congress 'B-team' of BJP amid Rajya Sabha poll results
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday accused the Congress of acting as the "B-team" of the BJP, citing developments in the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha and Bihar.
"The results of today's Rajya Sabha elections once again confirm the reality that the Congress party functions as the B-team of the Sangh Parivar," the veteran CPI(M) leader said in a statement here.
"While the Congress seeks votes from the people by raising slogans against the BJP, it repeatedly adopts a political approach that opens the door for the BJP's victory at crucial moments," he added.
His remarks came as voting for four Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha was held on Monday, with reports that at least five MLAs from the opposition Biju Janata Dal and Congress cross-voted in favour of a BJP-supported Independent candidate.
Vijayan said such developments showed a pattern in several states.
"This is not an isolated incident. In several states, it is the Congress that has created conditions for the BJP to gain additional Rajya Sabha seats through MLA resignations, cross-voting and political manoeuvring," he said.
Referring to Bihar, he said the political situation there had further strengthened the argument.
In Bihar, the ruling NDA made a clean sweep of all five Rajya Sabha seats in the biennial elections held on Monday.
Among those elected were Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, BJP leader Shivesh Kumar and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha.
According to officials, at least three Congress MLAs and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal did not turn up for voting, which helped the NDA secure victory.
"Anti-BJP slogans in public, but support for the BJP in practice -- this is the real politics of the Congress," Vijayan said.
"The Congress claiming to be the leader of secular politics while shamelessly helping the BJP is nothing but a mockery of Indian democracy," he added.
