New Delhi: The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) yesterday criticised the performance of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in its first 100 days, calling it “disappointing” and “anything but landmark and emphatic”.
“Modi is a dream merchant, who came to power by selling false hopes,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said at a press conference here and dismissed 100 days of Modi’s rule as high on rhetoric and low on performance.
“The 100 days story of this government has proved to be disappointing, characterised by non-fulfilment of promises, undermining of institutions, the compromising of administration and governance and promotion of a work culture nurtured by distrust and fear,” he said.
He alleged that the BJP had captured power by making lofty promises and selling unrealistic dreams. Sharma said this amounted to a “fraud with people”, who were “misled”.
He accused the government of politicising the educational system in the country.
“In schools, a different kind of history is being taught,” Sharma said. “This is already happening in history books of Gujarat”.
“Why is education being politicised? Institutions and research and science must remain out of politics,” he added.
The former commerce minister said that Modi did not consult the states before deciding to do away with the Planning Commission.
“The arbitrary decision of dismantling the Planning Commission strikes at the base of our federal structure,” he said.
“Has the sanctity of a cabinet form of government been upheld or a silent shift is being made to a presidential form where only one voice counts?”
Sharma added that Home Minister Rajnath Singh was not allowed to appoint his own private secretary.
“Around 18 ministers of the present government have serious criminal charges against them,” he added.
He said while the BJP had promised during its election campaign to bring back black money, nothing had come till now.
He expressed concern over the situation along the borders with Pakistan and China, and said there were ceasefire violations day in and day out by Islamabad.
“The government should show forthrightness in foreign policy engagements. It cannot be just rhetoric and theatrics,” he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party termed the governance of the Bharatiya Janata Party “as an excellent public relations management and high-definition photographs on Twitter”.
“The fear with Narendra Modi’s government isn’t that they will do something radically different and crazy, but rather that they will end up being the UPA government,” the AAP said.
The party said the government failed to bring back black money, which Home Minister Rajnath Singh had promised to do within the first 100 days of its tenure.
“Where is the black money? The government has only set up the cursory Special Investigation Team on black money, that too following the directions of the Supreme Court,” the AAP said.
On the issue of inflation, which has been high in the past few months, the AAP said: “In the first 100 days of the BJP government, the prices of diesel, kerosene, milk, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and nearly every essential commodity went up by astronomical levels.”
IANS
