From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday regretted that polarisation and disharmony have taken a front seat in eight years of the BJP government, caring hoots for the distressing issues such as rising inflation, unemployment and depreciating Rupee.
Detailing the issues nowhere on the government’s agenda, party spokesman economist Prof. Gourav Vallabh fired three questions at the government at a press conference at the AICC Headquarters here:
1. What has the government done to bring relief to the common Indian as far as inflation is concerned? Increasing GST on items such as flour will only propel the inflation.
2. Why a complete silence on part of the Modi Government’s to tackle a barrage of macro-economic indicators gone wrong? Stagnant economy, depreciating rupee and rising unemployment?
3. With RBI’s projection for inflation at 7.4% for the next quarter, what are the measures that the government has in mind?
The professor said any government can bring relief to the common mass only when sympathy leads over apathy. ED and CBI are not tools that bring relief. Unless the BJP government moves beyond petty politics and starts looking beyond ED politics, common Indian will continue to suffer.
DOOM OF 7S: He said the BJP has brought about a doom with 7s inclufinh Retail inflation 7.01%, rural inflation is even higher at 7.9%, food inflation 7.75% Unemployment 7.8%, Rupee deprciation 7% in last 6 months vs the US dollar,
Prof. Gourav said the BJP government has been competent, negligent and apathetic in handling the sorry state of macroeconomic affairs and yet at such a time, a draconian decision on imposing 5% GST was taken just a few days back on pre-packed and pre-labelled grains, fish, paneer, lassi, honey, jaggery, wheat flour, buttermilk, meat/fish (not frozen) and puffed rice (muri).
He said the government is not bothered about 25 lakh salaried people losing jobs in June and the start-ups were made to fire more than 11,000 employees in 2022 while the GDP growth is stagnant.
