PUDUKKOTTAI: Senior Congress leader and former union finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to a church on Christmas, saying it came at a time when attacks on Christians were being reported across the country.
Addressing reporters in Pudukkottai, he said,”While incidents targeting Christians continue, the Prime Minister enters a church after 11 years. People will see through such gestures”
Talking about policy issues, he said the changes in MGNREGA would emerge as a major issue in the upcoming polls and accused the government of weakening a key welfare scheme that ensured employment to crores of rural households.
Chidambaram also opposed the decision to shift 40% of the financial burden of the new scheme on to state governments. “Most states are already under severe financial stress. This will force them to further restrict work areas and reduce the number of employment days,” he warned.
On alliance talks in Tamil Nadu, he said discussions with Chief Minister M K Stalin were on and that seat-sharing negotiations would commence shortly.