Modi: Centre only worried about saving its chair, not rupee

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Intensifying his attack on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Narendra Modi Tuesday said its leadership is directionless and only worried about saving their chair while not being concerned about the sliding rupee and the economic crisis that is worrying the nation.

Close on the heels of his lashing out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Independence Day, the Gujarat chief minister, who is BJP’s election campaign committee chief, upped the ante, accusing the Centre of not taking adequate remedial steps to address the economic situation and instil confidence in the people.

“The country is disappointed today because the government is neither concerned about the economy nor the falling rupee. It is only worried about saving its chair,” Modi said.

The Indian rupee continued its slide Tuesday morning, breaching the 64-mark against dollar by falling 98 paise to trade at a record low of 64.11.

Modi lambasted the Centre for not taking any steps to strengthen the currency against the US dollar.

“The rupee has fallen rapidly in the past three months. But the government has not taken any steps to strengthen the rupee against the US dollar. If the rupee keeps falling like this, other countries will start taking advantage of India,” Modi said.

Terming the leadership as direction less, the PM-aspirant said, “The country might have never imagined that it would face such an economic crisis. But when leadership during such a crisis is directionless, then hopelessness increases. The Centre has not taken any step to instil confidence among people.”

“For the last five years, every three months, we have been hearing from the Centre that prices will come down and inflation will be controlled but nothing has happened,” Modi stated.

Pitching himself firmly as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate even before being formally anointed, Modi had on August 15 launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister on national security and challenged him to a public debate on governance, saying the nation is “restless for change.”

Modi had also slammed Singh for India’s “weak and feeble” response to provocations from Pakistan and China and attacked him over a variety of issues ranging from corruption to the Centre’s flagship food security bill.