People want to hear facts about economy: Chidambaram to PM

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday said that rather than resorting to "abuse and rhetoric" in Delhi poll campaigns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers should state facts about the economy which people want to hear.

Claiming that the PM and his ministers seem to be cut off from the reality, the former finance minister suggested economic issues on which they can speak about.

"Three things they can speak about in the Delhi elections: CPI has increased from 2 per cent in January 2019 to 7.35 per cent in December 2019. 2. Tax revenues will fall short of budget estimates by Rs 2.5 lakh crore in 2019-20. 3. There will be sharp expenditure cuts in programmes meant for SC, ST, OBC, minorities and women and children," Chidambaram said in a series of tweet.

"People want to hear facts about the economy, not abuse and rhetoric," he said.

Later, Chidambaram also attacked the government over its slew of decisions to protect prudent commercial decision of bankers, including doing away with personal responsibilities of MD and CEO of PSBs for compliance in dealing with large value frauds committed by bank officials.

After accusing bankers of doing telephone banking and hounding them for six years, the government does not have the humility to say "we were wrong, we are sorry", Chidambaram said.

"The government has suddenly discovered that 'loans granted after appropriate appraisal can turn out to be non-performing'," he said.

How many upright bankers were investigated, humiliated and even arrested in the last six years, he asked.

"No banker wants to lend. That is the hard truth. Nothing that the BJP government will do now including ring fencing will revive the culture of lending that has been practically destroyed," Chidambaram said.