The main Opposition BJP on Monday said the first year of UPA-2 was a “disappointment” and could only be remembered for issues like increase in prices of essential commodities, failure on the foreign policy front, unabated terror and Naxal attacks, corruption and “misuse” of CBI to control the government’s allies. The party also
charged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with evading questions on contentious issues at his press conference to mark the completion of the first year of UPA-II in power.
Senior party leader and the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mr Arun Jaitley said the “only achievement of the UPA is that it can boast of the fact that it continued in power.”
“The first year in power for any government is celebrated with enthusiasm. One never thought that this would be one of disappointment,” Mr Jaitley said.
He further said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “decided to talk but not speak” to the country through the media. The BJP leader said PM also failed to control behaviour of his ministers as well as subversion of basic democratic institutions. The BJP observed a ‘black day’ today by holding a public rally against the “bad governance” of UPA-2.
“The Prime Minister decided either to deflect or evade the questions. On inflation, he maintained that it will come down by year-end.
This nation cannot live on false hope. He cannot think of how to control inflation. Nation wanted to hear what steps he wishes to take and not to repeat false hope,” the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha said.
The party charged that while there has been a rise of 17 to 19 per cent in prices of foodgrains, these foodgrains are rotting in government godowns and being eaten by rats.
The Opposition claimed that government was “misusing” the CBI to keep some of its allies, whose leaders are facing disproportionate assets cases, under control. On the issue of alleged 2G Spectrum scam, Mr Jaitley said Prime Minister “can’t look the other way everytime there is a serious allegation involving one of his Cabinet ministers.”
The party alleged that there was a “conflict of opinion” within the government on how to fight Maoist violence. “While the Prime Minister was describing it as the biggest threat to India’s sovereignty, his Home Minister was insisting combating it was the primary responsibility of states,” Mr Jaitley said.
On the foreign policy issue, Mr Jaitley said first year of UPA II witnessed “abandonment of India pursuing an independent foreign policy.”
“Foreign policy is now adopted at the behest of foreign powers. Atal Behari Vajpaee’s foreign policy was that no talks will be held with Pakistan till it uses its soil (in sponsoring terror) against India. But UPA’s policy is that it will continue with the dialogue process with Pakistan even as the latter continues to sponsor terror from its soil,” he said.