Centre’s economic policies are anti-people: Dr Singh
Bengaluru, May 7: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh alleged that the economic policies being introduced by Narendra Modi-led central government have been causing inconvenience to the people and thus become anti-people.
Addressing a press conference at the KPCC office here on Monday, Dr Singh said that the country is in a critical condition and farmers were facing severe problem. The youth were not getting suitable job opportunities and the economy has been recording less development compared to its capacity. Instead of facing these challenges efficiently, it has been trying to oppress the voices which disclose such lapses. Economic policies would have greater impact on the life of people and those who are at the helm of affairs should not take decisions without thinking about the pros and cons, he said.
Since India is a complex and diversified country, no person could become the treasure of all knowledge. Whenever the BJP government’s destructive decisions are questioned, they say such decisions have good intensions. But such intensions were incurring heavy loss to the country, he said.
Amidst all global turmoil and recession, the UPA government had registered 7.8 per cent growth. But now, there is a conducive atmosphere and crude oil prices were also come down. In spite of it, the growth rate in the NDA government is limping. Demonitisation and GST introduction were the two big mistakes that could have been avoided by Modi government. As a result, micro, small and medium scale industries were suffering and lakhs of youth lost their jobs, he said.
In the GDP, the share of export has come down to the lowest level in the last 14 years. Though the prices of crude oil have come down in the international market, prices of petrol and diesel are sky rocketing. After BJP came to power, the crude oil price in the international market has come down to over 67per cent. But the prices of petrol and diesel were increased by 110 per cent. As the tax is increased continuously without thinking about the common people, the government could pool in more than Rs 10 lakh crore, he said.
Though the centre has been waiving off the loan balance of corporate companies, it has not shown the same interest in waiving off the farmers loans. In the last three years, the public sector banks have written off Rs 2.41 lakh crore loan. The efforts of many years to create the Indian economy as the third largest economy in the world were being systematically squandered. The aim of the Modi government to double the income of farmers by 2022 is just castle in the air. The MSP growth which was on an average of 19.3 per cent has come down to 3.6 per cent in the NDA tenure. Even the agriculture GDP was also declined considerably. The export quantity which was increased five times during UPA time, has come by 21 per cent. But the import of agriculture produces was increased by 60 per cent, he said.
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Cong's countrywide protest on Wednesday against VB-G RAM-G bill replacing MGNREGA
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress will hold protests across the country on Wednesday against the Centre's rural employment bill VB-G RAM G that seeks to replace MGNREGA, claiming it was a "BJP-RSS conspiracy" to dismantle a rights-based welfare scheme and attack Mahatma Gandhi's legacy, workers' rights and federal responsibility.
The opposition party's general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, in a letter to all state Congress presidents, urged them to organise protests at all district headquarters.
These protests must be held with portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, symbolising resistance to the erasure of his name and values, and highlight how the proposed law will impact the crores of beneficiaries of MGNREGA, he said in the letter.
"The combined attack on Gandhiji's legacy, workers' rights and federal responsibility exposes a larger BJP-RSS conspiracy to dismantle rights-based welfare and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre," Venugopal said.
The opposition has strongly objected to the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday.
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The Congress and other opposition MPs also staged a protest in Parliament House complex over the Centre's move.
In the letter to the Congress state unit chief, Venugopal said that on December 28, the party's Foundation Day, programmes should be organised at all blocks and villages, with Mahatma Gandhi's portraits, reaffirming the party's commitment to the dignity of labour, social justice and the right to work.
"This is both a political and moral struggle. The Congress must lead from the front to defend MGNREGA, Gandhiji's legacy and the constitutional promise of justice for the poorest," Venugopal said in a post on X.
In his letter, he said the BJP government has taken an alarming and deliberate step by introducing a bill to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
"This is not a routine legislative exercise. It is a calculated political move to weaken a historical, rights-based people's law and to erase Mahatma Gandhi's name and values from India's most recognisable welfare legislation.
"This combined attack on Gandhiji's legacy, rights and federal responsibility exposes a larger BJP-RSS conspiracy to dismantle rights-based welfare and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre," he noted.
