Govt can’t hide behind the legacy jibes now: Mallikarjun Kharge
NEW DELHI: With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman scheduled to present the Union Budget on Sunday, the Congress has raised concerns about the state of the Indian economy, questioning whether the government will put forward concrete measures to address its challenges.
In a post on X, Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday that the Modi government can no longer hide behind the “legacy” excuse, as it has been in power for the last 12 years.
“In this Union Budget, the Modi Government cannot hide behind the excuse of ‘legacy’. Their own legacy has pushed the economy into an unprecedented mess. Will this Budget offer real solutions to the multiple economic indicators that are now in free fall?” he asked.
The Congress chief also posted a video along with his post, which said the Economic Survey is out and that government data shows manufacturing growth crashed from 7.4% under the UPA to just 3.54% under the NDA rule. The video claimed that the government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign has “failed” as manufacturing is “stuck” at 13%.
It also claimed that only one in two graduates is even employable, and India’s share in global trade is the lowest in 80 years. The video further claimed that household savings are down from 7.4% to 5.3%.
The video also claimed that the rupee has hit an all-time low at 92 against the US dollar and foreign investment is “fleeing”. The FDI has shown a negative growth in four straight months, it added.
In another post, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned whether the Budget numbers would undergo revisions very soon after they are unveiled, as the new GDP and Consumer Price Index (CPI) series are to be released just days after the Budget, and said it reflects poorly on coordination in policy making.