Drawing a parallel between the Mumbai terror attacks and economic crisis faced by the country, Arun Shourie, noted writer and a Bharatiya Janata Party MP, said the country needed a “clear-headed leadership”.Addressing the members of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in Kolkata on Thursday, he said: “Despite the promises made by the prime minister and the finance minister on the economic front, the crisis situation continues. They are the Shivaraj Patils of the economy.”“Only fools can be surprised by what is happening. We have become a weak and confused society,” he added. He also raised the 2001 attack on the Parliament and said that despite court orders, the country could not execute the culprits. “Three senior policemen were killed in Mumbai last night. Every time officers try to take on terrorism, an inquiry is ordered. It is outrageous,” Shourie said. Shourie took a dig at the UPA government saying it has reversed the reforms process, squandered money on populist projects and fed speculation in the financial market. He advised the government to come up with sector-specific remedies, re-orient monetary and fiscal policies to growth and do away with the attitude that the economy is based on strong foundations.
