PM Modi “Has Stooped Low”, Misused PMO : Dr Manmohan Singh
BANGALURU : In a scathing attack on PM Modi, he said, “No Prime Minister in our country has used the Office of the Prime Minister to say things about his opponent that Mr Modi has been doing day in and day out. It is very shocking to see the Prime Minister of the country stoop so low and use language and frame ideologies that are unbecoming of a Prime Minister,” Manmohan Singh said, adding, “I sincerely hope that Modi learns his lesson and does not polarize the society in Karnataka.”
Pointing that economic policies of a government have impact on lives of common people, the former prime minister said that policies of Prime Minister Modi and his government have “resulted in massive losses for the country”.“The UPA government delivered an average growth rate of 7.8 per cent despite economic turmoil across the world during that period. The NDA government has lesser growth rate despite favourable international conditions,” said Manmohan Singh.
According to Singh, two “major avoidable blunders” of the Modi government had been demonetisation and hasty implementation of GST. He said the losses the economy suffered due to these blunders had severely hurt the micro, small and medium enterprises and resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. The Former PM said that the government had hit small and micro industries and resulted in loss of tens of thousands of jobs across the country. Cautioning the Modi government over its economic policies, Singh said, “True leadership creates opportunities, and not destroys them. Prime Minister Modi just came up with catchy words like Amrut and smart city, which have underperformed drastically.”
He further pointed to petrol and diesel prices touching record highs, saying that the prices of fuels have touched historic high despite lower crude oil prices internationally. He blamed “excessive excise taxes” imposed by the NDA government, saying, “Modi government is punishing people”.“Since the present government assumed power, crude oil prices have declined by 67 per cent, but prices of both petrol and diesel have increased and reached record high,” said the former prime minister.
He also lashed out at the central government over recent scams in banking sector, involving big public sector banks like Punjab National Bank. “Bank frauds have increased and perpetrators have fled with immunity,” said Singh, adding that the Modi government was “slowly eroding the trust of common people in banking system”. Dr Singh made the remarks while addressing a press conference in Bengaluru. He is visiting Bengaluru to campaign for the Congress party ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections, polling for which would be held on May 12 and results will be declared on May 15.
“Our nation today is experiencing difficult times. Our farmers are facing an acute crisis, our aspirational youth are not finding opportunities, and the economy is growing below its potential,” Singh told. He said the “unfortunate truth” was that each of these crises was “entirely avoidable”.(With Agency Inputs).
