BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha criticizes Demonetisation and GST, says country's atmosphere has vitiated under Modi government

Shatrughan Sinha along with former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha have been vocal critics of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha (File | PTI)

NEW DELHI: Dissident BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday claimed that the atmosphere in the country is vitiated to such an extent that “you’re either with me (the government) or you’re an anti-national”.

Reiterating that Demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST) have proved to be “neem ke upar karela (bitter gaurd after neem)”, the actor-turned-politician stated that lakhs of country's youth have been rendered jobless.

Talking about the country's prevailing atmosphere, Sinha said: “You should either be in favour of or seen with (the government), or they will attribute motives to you, that he’s disgruntled since he was not made a minister. You should either be with me (government), or you will be labelled anti-national.”

The BJP MP from the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in the Parliament wondered that the people question him speaking despite there being “a tv actress who is an HRD minister and a lawyer who is Finance Minister”.

“Recently, I had gone to attend a book release function organised by Congress leader Manish Tiwari where people asked me how could I be speaking on economy being a film star,” Sinha said while speaking at a book release function of the Rajya Sabha MP and rebel JD (U) leader Ali Anwar.

Sinha afterwards launched into a tirade against host of ministers in the NDA government without taking their names.

“Vakil Babu finance minister ho sakte haen; ek tv actress HRD minister ho sakti hai, lekin maen economy par nahi bol sakta. Ek chai waala...aage maen nahi bolunga (A lawyer could be finance minister while a tv actress is a minister for Human resources development, but I cann’t speak on economy. One tea seller...rest I will not say),” Sinha remarked, while going on to elaborate how demonetisation wreaked havoc with the economy of the country.

“The factory production went down by 50 per cent following the implementation of the decision of demonetisation. Lakhs of youth lost their jobs in the country. Small and medium traders were destroyed,” Sinha charged. The BJP leader then took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s poll promise made at an Agra rally where he had reportedly promised to create 10 million jobs every year.

“Char-paanch crore jobs ke baat kar rahe the...jugaad laga kar ab tak ek crore kar paaye haen (They were talking of creating 4-5 crore jobs, but could do just one crore),” added Sinha.

Shatrughan Sinha along with former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha have been vocal critics of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The yesteryear film star advised the BJP to take note of the criticism of the former Finance Minister.

“I don’t say that (winning) 2019 (Lok Sabha elections) will be impossible, but it could be difficult if warnings of Yashwant Sinha are not heeded to,” added Sinha.