Advani advice: Tell Left to pipe down for double digit growth

BJP president L.K. Advani today praised PM Manmohan Singh for starting the reforms process but cautioned him against leaning heavily on the ...

BJP president L.K. Advani today praised PM Manmohan Singh for starting the reforms process but cautioned him against leaning heavily on the Left, an act, he said, that would make it more difficult to achieve a double-digit growth.

Adressing the CII’S annual session, which coincides with the first year of the UPA government, Advani said: ‘‘Marginalise the ideological and political influence of the Communists, for their policies will neither deliver inclusive growth nor double digit growth.’’

Both the Centre and state governments should continue to focus on rapid expansion and modernisation of infrastructure and consolidate the gains made in IT and other areas of the knowledge economy, Advani said.

After the boycott of Parliament, Advani struck a measured note, expressing his party’s readiness to support the Government on any reform vital for India’s economic progress but said he was unhappy with the treatement meted out to his party.

“The NDA is being constantly run down…What I am particularly concerned about is that political liberalism is now leading the Government to a policy of vindictiveness. The government seems to have decided, as a matter of political strategy, to de-emphasise, denigrate and discredit every achievement of the Vajpayee government,” Advani said.

Advani pointed out the “politically motivated” CBI inquiry in Defence deals and the proposed probe into the disinvestment of Centaur hotels in Mumbai as examples of the “vindictiveness.”

“Don’t proceed on this path of vendetta. It will bite you. The barking Communists may not bite but the action they and some others are pressurising you to take will certainly bite you,” Advani said. “A culture of cooperation between the government and Opposition, a culture of partnership between the government, business community and people’s organisation, and above all, commitment to good governance,” would lead to double-digit inclusive growth.

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Attacking the Left, he said: ‘‘It is indeed ironic that those whose dogmatic policies are a prescription for increasing poverty, perpetuating backwardness, and promoting corruption and bureaucratism should talk about inclusive growth.”

‘‘I never cease to be amazed by the hypocrisy of the Indian Communists,’’ he said. ‘‘For them, it is okay if China carries out economic reforms, but India must not. It is okay if China becomes a nuclear weapon nation, but India must not.” He said India would need a positive agenda built around consensus and cooperation, for double-digit inclusive growth.