BJP picks on PM's 100-day promise

26 Apr 2009

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's promise to revive the economy in 100 days on Saturday kicked off a war of words between Congress and BJP, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh waves to party supporters during an election campaign, in Guwahati.
with the latter latching on to the claim as an admission by Congress that it had mismanaged the economy.

Reacting to PM's statement, given in an interview to TOI and published on Saturday, BJP spokesman Prakash Javdekar said, "Congress and the PM must first explain why it allowed the economy to deteriorate for 1,826 days (during UPA rule) before making a false promise of reviving the economy in 100 days."

Javdekar, who was speaking to reporters, said the PM's promise was an admission of failure, despite the government having touted itself as run by a trio of economic wizards -- the PM, P Chidambaram and Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Congress was quick to dismiss BJP's charge of economic mismanagement. Union minister Renuka Chowdhary wondered if BJP knew there was a global recession. She said, "There is a global problem. There is recession." The minister added the economy would be "more robust" and problems sorted out if Congress was voted to power.

The two principal rivals in the Lok Sabha battle are engaged in a verbal duel over financial matters as they move into the third round of elections.

BJP on Saturday also accused Congress was engineering a scam to jack up prices of sugar and cement with the objective of funding its campaign.

But Chowdhary reacted tersely to the charge, saying BJP should first answer how it the got funds for polls when it was in power. "They (BJP) should know..." she said.

Javdekar had alleged, "Congress, NCP and other UPA parties are collecting election funds through a scam by which the government first allowed sugar to be exported at Rs 18/kg with subsidy and within three months allowed import of sugar at Rs 23/kg."