Kolkata: Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha came down Saturday heavily on the Narendra Modi government and asserted that this was the first government after Independence which has been playing ‘mischief’ with the developmental statistics.
Addressing the opposition rally organised by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Sinha who quit the BJP recently said, under the present regime while praising the government was ‘desh bhakti’(patriotism), criticising it is ‘desh drohi’ (sedition).
“After Independence this is the first government which has been presenting decorated and inflated developmental statistics to befool people,” the former Finance Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government said apparently referring to the Niti Aayog downgrading GDP growth rate during UPA time.
Sinha, who was in a committee to find solution to the Kashmir problem said when he had suggested to talk to the cross-section of people in the environment of love, he was branded a ‘Pakistani agent’.
The former Union Minister made fun of Modi government’s slogan of ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ and said the apt slogan should be ‘sabka saath sabka vinash’.
Speaking at the same rally Zoram Nationalist Party leader Lalduhawma said the entire North-East was ‘burning’ because of the Citizenship Amendment Bill implemented by the BJP.
“If the bill was enacted… , India will no longer be the place that it used to be… so we want a secular government at the Centre, so that this bill is withdrawn or exemption must be given to the North-East,” he asserted.
Lalduhawma, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Mizoram Assembly alleged that the BJP, RSS are trying to rewrite the history in their own way.
Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel who also attended the gathering said while Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had given a call to fight against the ‘goro’ (Britishers) we are fighting against ‘choro’ (thieves).
The young Gujarat leader thanked Banerjee for bringing all major opposition leaders on one platform and pointing towards ‘jansalab’ (mass gathering) said it was an indication that BJP is on its way out of power.
PTI