NE NEWS SERVICE
TRICHIRAPALLI, DECEMBER 8
The country is in the grip of severe economic crisis, the government could not even understand the magnitude of the crisis and was clueless on reviving the economy, alleged former Union Minister P Chidambaram here on Sunday.
Addressing reporters after a rousing welcome accorded to him by the Congress workers at Tiruchirappalli airport, he termed the BJP government a “bankrupt’’ and it had betrayed the massive mandate given by the electorate and people’s faith reposed on it seven months ago.
Chidambaram said, he was not the first person to describe Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman as an incompetent person to hold the portfolio.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman. – File photo
“The Economist magazine and many economists had described her as an incompetent manager and the Narendra Modi government as incompetent.” The misdeeds in running the government had time and again proved the notion, he said.
Chidambaram said that the state of affairs of the economy was “very bad”. About 30 crore people, who were daily wage labourers, got an average of 22 to 23 days of employment before demonetization. According to a recent survey of the National Sample Survey, the number of days of employment had come down to 12 to 15 a month. It means that their annual income had shrunk by 50%. It had dealt a heavy blow on them. Similarly, the consumption level had also come down to 24%. It had ultimately brought down the buying power of the people, causing cascading effects on various aspects of the economy. On the contrary, the government was thinking on supporting only a section of corporate.
DMK likely to move SC again on civic polls
He said that there were many mistakes in local body elections announced by the State Election Commission in Tamil Nadu, including several flaws on delimitation and reservation. The DMK was contemplating to move the Supreme Court, seeking remedy, Chidambaram said.
Slams discrimination on basis of religion in NCB
While commenting on the National Citizenship Bill proposed to be tabled in the parliament on Monday, Chidambaram said that the need of the hour was to frame a comprehensive and holistic refugee policy on whether to accord asylum or reject certain refugees. But, the National Citizenship Bill had many provisions to create confusion among the citizens and causes discrimination on religion, he added.
