Premium
This is an archive article published on September 27, 2017

Congress highlighted these weaknesses in economy. We were told to shut up: Chidambaram on Yashwant Sinha’s article

Chidambaram said this after senior BJP leader and former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha, in an article in The Indian Express, criticised the BJP government's handling of the economy.

P Chidambaram, Yashwant Sinha, Bharatiya Janata Party, Narendra Modi Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram questioned the Centre on Wednesday whether it will admit that the economy is sinking. (File photo)

“Yashwant Sinha speaks truth to power. Will power now admit the truth that economy is sinking,” said senior Congress leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday. He said this after senior BJP leader and former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha wrote in The Indian Express on Wednesday criticising the BJP government’s handling of the economy.

Sinha wrote in his article: “Finance ministry, in the best of times, calls for the undivided attention of its boss if the job has to be properly done. In challenging times it becomes more than a 24/7 job. Naturally, even a superman like Jaitley could not do justice to the task.”

Chidambaram pointed out statistics that Sinha laid out to stress that the state of the economy was not as good as it was portrayed according to GDP growth rate numbers.

Sinha wrote that due to the new method of calculating GDP growth rate, the actual figure changes significantly.

Chidambaram took the point from Sinha’s piece where he says that when the BJP was in Opposition, it was against the “raid raj” but now it seems to be the order of the day.

Later in the day, addressing a press conference, Chidambaram hit out at the government saying, “Congress has, for nearly 18 months, highlighted these very grave weaknesses in economy. We were told, in effect, to shut up.”

Story continues below this ad

Takinga  dig at PM Modi’s slogan of ‘achhe din’, Chidambaram said, “I ask, how long will the government hide behind the rhetoric of the Prime Minister and the slogans of the party? It is a small mercy that we no longer hear the slogan “achhe din aanewale hai”. As I travel around the country, what I hear is “achhe din to aaye nahi, yeh burre din kab jaayenge?”

The former minister also urged reporters to write about the state of economy without being scared. “My appeal to all of you, and especially to those who are knowledgeable about the economy, is to speak and write without fear. Darr ko chhod do,” he said.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement
Loading Taboola...
Advertisement