Modi government has pushed economy in dire straits: Congress
New Delhi, Aug 26 : The Congress on Sunday said that the Narendra Modi government had upturned a rising economy and left it in "dire straits" with its "ad hoc and myopic economic policies".
"Dear Arun Jaitley, Congress governments (2004-2104) delivered the highest decadal growth of 8.13 per cent at factor-cost since Independence. Under Modi government, GDP growth in 2017-18 is just 6.7 per cent, which is a four-year low. In July 2018, IMF itself lowered our growth projections," Congress Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a series of tweets.
"Jaitley ji should know that Modi government had inherited an economy that was on the upswing. But due to BJP's ad hoc and myopic economic policies -- demonetisation, flawed implementation of GST and tax terrorism -- that momentum was lost," he added.
Surjewala's tweets came in response to a post on social media by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said that it was only with NDA coming to power in 2014 that the economy had undergone a transformational change.
In his post, Jaitley said that a comparison of the data released in 2014 and 2018 proved that high inflation, fiscal deficit and current account deficit, besides a standstill in the infrastructure and power sectors, as well as in allocation of natural resources, were some of the failures of the previous UPA government.
"We have come a long way. The last four years have seen a series of reforms, both legislative and otherwise, which have been carried on by the government. The system has been substantially cleaned up and made more transparent," Jaitley posted on Facebook.
However, Surjewala said that certain parameters showed a downward trend in economy and that "no amount of whitewashing" could change those facts.
"Gross Fixed Capital Formation as a percentage of GDP was 34.3 per cent in 2011-12. Even in 2013-14 it was 31.3 per cent. In the last three years, it has remained constant at 28.5 per cent and has impacted growth. No amount of white washing or blog writing can increase that," Surjewala said.
He said that the manner in which the Modi government had sought to "supress the 'back series' of GDP" and attempted to "distort" them through "spins", was now out in the open.
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K'taka Cong to protest against replacing MGNREGA, 'hate politics' in National Herald case
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the ruling Congress in the state will hold protests against the central government's move to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and the alleged "hate politics" against the party leadership in the National Herald case on December 17.
The state Congress president said that the protest led by him and CM Siddaramaiah will be held in front of Gandhi state at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here on Wednesday, and similar protests will also be held at all district and taluka centres of the state.
The party also plans to raise the issues in the state legislature here.
"The agitation has become necessary. Tomorrow at 9.30 am, the chief minister, myself, all ministers, MLAs and MLCs will stage a protest in front of the Gandhi statue. Everyone will participate," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the protests will also be held in all district and taluk centres including Bengaluru, and there is also a plan for a programme on Saturday, details of which will be shared later.
"In Assembly too there is a need to discuss this and for it to go into records, we are making preparations for it....the protest is against removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from MGNREGA, and against the hate politics towards Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders," he added.
The Congress' move, came as the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name from it.
Also, a court in Delhi on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering charge against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and five others in the National Herald case.
Alleging that Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were "harassed" in connection with the National Herald case, Shivakumar said several people, including him, had given funds to help the party related organisation, and they too were being troubled.
"My brother D K Suresh (former MP) and I were supposed to appear before the Delhi police in connection with the National Herald case. We had written a letter to them seeking a FIR copy. Chargesheet was filed by ED in the case without an FIR," he claimed.
Pointing to the Delhi Court's decision, the Deputy CM said, "This is proof that the legal system in the country is still alive. This also proves that the power is being misused (by those in the central government) to harass political opponents."
Highlighting that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru started the National Herald in 1937, and that it is Congress' property, Shivakumar, questioning the validity of the ED case, said, "As Congress presidents (in past) Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had their shares, it was not their own. Similarly, if we as Congress workers don't donate to the party organisation, who else will?"
Shivakumar also said that the move to rename MNREGA is with an intention to "insult" Gandhi and to weaken the scheme by reducing its funding.
