Congress releases 'black paper' on Modi govt's 'failures' since 2014; PM calls it 'Kaala Teeka for govt'
The Congress released a 'black paper' on Thursday to highlight the "failures" of the Modi government, flagging issues such as unemployment, price rise and "farmers' distress."
The release of the ‘black paper' titled ‘10 Saal Anyay Kaal' by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge comes ahead of the government's tabling in Parliament of a ‘white paper' on the “mismanagement” of the economy prior to 2014 with an aim to draw lessons.
"We are releasing a black paper against the government because the government always glorifies itself in Parliament and hides its failures. And when we say something about their failure, we are not given a chance, so today we are bringing out the black paper here. It contains details about unemployment, which the BJP government never discusses," the Congress President said at a press briefing.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge said he talks of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi when asked about the price rise but “they are ruling now and they should answer what they have done.”
It was Modi's guarantee to provide 2 crore jobs and ensure MSP for farmers and now the prime minister should say he could not do it, but instead he has come up with new guarantees, the Congress President remarked.
Remarking that inflation has increased in the country, Kharge said PM Modi kept comparing it with the Congress instead of reducing it. "If the Modi government wants, it can control inflation on daily essential items, including pulses and oil. But PM Modi imports things from outside to benefit his friends," he said.
He also remarked that the Congress had ensured India's independence and in 2024, it will take the country out of the BJP's "darkness of injustice."
Referring to PM Modi's 90-minute reply to the Motion of Thanks on President's Address in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Kharge said, "He (PM Modi) didn't mention the employment generated by the public sectors like HAL, BHEL which were established during Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure."
Kharge alleged that the Centre is discriminating against all the non-BJP-ruled states and neglecting them.
"There is a danger to democracy in the country...In last 10 years, 411 MLAs were taken on their by the BJP. They toppled so many Congress governments. They are finishing democracy," the Congress president said, sharpening his attacks against the Centre further.
'Kaala teeka' for government
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a jibe at the Congress for coming out with a 'black paper' on the NDA government, calling it a "kaala teeka" that will ward off the evil eye on the achievements of his government.
"Whenever a good thing happens, we apply the 'kaala teeka' (to ward off the evil eye), and I thank (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji for doing this honour today," the prime minister said in the Rajya Sabha.
The Prime Minister's remarks came while he was giving farewell to the retiring members of the Rajya Sabha, including his predecessor, Manmohan Singh.
Modi said, "When the country is touching new heights in the last ten years, we take it as 'kala teeka' to help ward off the evil eye."
He said Kharge, being an elder, has put this 'kaala teeka' for the good work being done by our government in the country's progress.
'Necessary to inform what Congress left in 2014'
The Black Paper comes even as the central government is ready to present a 'white paper', to show that the country had plunged into the "fragile five" economies of the world during the 10-year period of the previous Congress-led UPA regime (2004–14).
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, while speaking to reporters ahead of the commencement of the seventh day of Parliament, said that a discussion on the 'white paper' is scheduled to be held in Lok Sabha today.
"When our Finance Minister presented the Interim Budget, she mentioned the white paper. It is necessary to inform about the kind of economic situation they (Congress) had left for the country in 2014," Meghwal said.
Meghwal claimed that the parliament would go through the paper to show how the opposition had "destroyed" the economic situation between 2004 and 2014 and that the Modi government had "cleared every debris to take the country forward again."
The government had announced in the union budget presented on February 1 that it would come out with a 'white paper' to compare the economic performance of 10 years of the Congress-led UPA government with that of 10 years of the BJP-led NDA government.
Tabling the interim budget 2024–25 in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that the Modi government, which assumed office in 2014, overcame the crisis of those years and the economy has been put firmly on a high sustainable growth path.
"In 2014, when our government assumed the reins, the responsibility to mend the economy step by step and to put the governance systems in order was enormous. The need of the hour was to give hope to the people, to attract investments, and to build support for the much-needed reforms. The government did that successfully, following our strong belief of 'nation-first'," she said.
"The crisis of those years has been overcome, and the economy has been put firmly on a high sustainable growth path with all-round development."
She announced that the government will lay a 'white paper' on the table of the House "to look at where we were then till 2014 and where we are now, only for the purpose of drawing lessons from the mismanagement of those years."
"The exemplary track record of governance, development, and performance, effective delivery, and 'Jan Kalyan' has given the government trust, confidence, and blessings of the people to realise, whatever it takes, the goal of 'Viksit Bharat' with good intentions, true dedication, and hard work in the coming years and decades," she said.
The budget session, which is the last Parliament session before Lok Sabha polls expected in April–May this year, is slated to conclude on February 10.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)