Manmohan invited to anniversary fete in MP

The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee has invited former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Bhopal on December 17 to be the guest of honour for the celebrations to mark the completion of the Congress government's one year in the state. The idea apparently is to lend an edge to the attack on the NDA government at the Centre over the economic slowdown and growing unemployment.

The celebrations coming just a couple of days after the Congress' proposed massive protest against the economic slowdown and unemployment on December 14 in New Delhi would assume greater significance with the expert views from the former Prime Minister. Singh has accepted Chief Minister Kamal Nath's invitation, MP Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja said.

Singh will release a vision document for MP, the Congress sources said. Kamal Nath and Manmohan Singh will jointly address the media and speak on the "worrisome economic condition" prevailing in the country.

Madhya Pradesh has already built a case against the Centre by alleging a discriminatory attitude in extending financial assistance to state farmers affected by the vagaries of weather.

Kamal Nath tweeted, "We have sought 18 lakh metric tons of urea (manure) for Rabi season from the centre but it has cut short the quota."

Singh and Nath share a special bond as the latter was Union Commerce and Industries Minister from 2004 to 2009 and Union Roads and Highways Minister and Union Urban Development Minister between 2009 and 2014 when Singh was prime minister.

Singh, who is credited with liberalising the Indian economy and pushing reforms and accelerating growth and employment, has been fiercely critical of the Centre's economic policies.

( With inputs from IANS )