India prospering but Indians not

Aiyar took a dig at his party ruing that while India was prospering Indians were not

Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday took a dig at his party,the UPA government and the Planning Commission,ruing that while India was prospering Indians were not.

Speaking at a SCOPE function here,Aiyar said,The fact of the matter is that India is prospering but Indians are not. We are a country where domestic servants of each one of us is regarded by Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia as definitely APL above poverty line8230;. But the fact that is we are desperately a poor country, he said.

Responding to a query on whether there is any quick fix solution to the issue of unethical practice of private sector and the government making the public sector undertakings orphans,Aiyar said,Yes. There is a very quick fix solution. Does the Congress party,which is the leader of the government,own up to the Nehruvian legacy. Do we still believe in socialistic pattern of society that was proclaimed in 19558230;. How often has the word socialist been used in a Congress manifesto in the last 20 years.

We have a Planning Commission run by a man who says he does not believe in planning,8221; Aiyar said,referring to Ahluwalia. 8220;The irony of it8230; plans are being produced by people who do not believe in that and the public sector is being run by those who don8217;t believe in the public sector. Do you think being the Minister for Heavy Industries is a high profile job?

He said that one way out is to get rid of the public sector. That8217;s what some elements in the Congress want. The other way is to assert the public sector,which is what some other elements in the Congress want.

According to him,the Government of India has not been proud about the public sector. 8230; The government is not proud of you public sector. I don8217;t know why the government should be proud of someone whose chief achievement is to build a 27-storey house for himself and his three children8230; I am not proud of that, Aiyar said,referring to industrialist Mukesh Ambani8217;s home in Mumbai.