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Journalism of Courage
At a time when economy is passing through “grimmest” situation in 20 years,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi were not on the same page on crucial reforms and “hostile Centre” was to blame for lack of political consensus,BJP today said in Parliament.
“There is something wrong with the structure which they seriously need to introspect. The Prime Minister has to be the natural leader of the country and the Government.
“He must be the last word as far as the policy is concerned… But then,he has to function like a CEO taking direction from a board…(that) is a model on which the world’s largest democracy can’t function,” Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.
Initiating debate on the Appropriation Bill,he said while Opposition was critical of the twin leadership during UPA-I,Singh and the UPA Chairperson were broadly in agreement.
However in UPA-II,”even ideologically,the twin leadership does not appear to be on the same page.”
Referring to the state of economy,Jaitley said the inflation was at an “unacceptable” level and the credit squeeze was making Indian manufacturing uncompetitive.
“In the past 20 years,this is perhaps the grimmest situation that we are passing through. The entire showcasing of India that we made to the entire world… the entire image is taking a setback,” he said.
On concerns expressed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that lack of political consensus was blocking key reforms,Jaitley said,”You crack and demolish the process of building consensus.”
He said steps such as arrest of MPs who complained that they were being paid money for bailing out the UPA-I,blocking of highway projects in non-Congress states and misuse of CBI “don’t help in consensus building.”
“The Government has to be big-hearted and not just merely big brother,” he suggested.
