Distraction, false noise mainstay of BJP-led government's style, says Congress

The Congress on Saturday attacked the Narendra Modi government on the first anniversary of the ruling coalition in its second term, saying that "distraction and false noise" has become "a defining mainstay" of its administrative style.

In a joint statement, party leaders KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala said even the most ordinary and mundane expectations of keeping a country running "were beyond the capabilities" of the government.

"Over the last six years, India witnessed a steady increase in the politics of distraction and false noise to the point that it has become a defining mainstay of Modi government's administrative style. While it served the political interests of the BJP, it came at an unprecedented economic and social cost to the nation," the statement said.

The Congress leaders said Prime Minister Modi would do well to remember that extraordinary promises beget extraordinary expectations. "But even the most ordinary and mundane expectations of keeping a country running were beyond the capabilities of this government which promised 'so much' and delivered 'so very little'," they said.

They said Prime Minister Modi came to power promising two crore jobs a year but "India witnessed the highest unemployment rate in the last 45 years in 2017-18 - 6.1 per cent overall, 7.8 per cent in urban India and 5.3 per cent in rural India ".

"Post-COVID, India's unemployment rate has soared to an unprecedented 27.11 per cent," they said.

They also attacked the Modi government over economic performance, saying that GDP has become synonymous with "grossly declining performance".

( With inputs from ANI )