Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Wednesday expressed doubt over the ‘report card’ of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.
Raising concern over the rising number of farmer suicides in the country, the former party president said: “The new era of globalisation has changed the work ecosystem. This is the era of privatisation. Our farmers are suffering from the middle-man policies,” he said, while launching a book titled ‘Agricultural Atlas of Madhya Pradesh’.
He said the government was dependent on ground staff for reports and people in power ought to be aware of how work was done at that level. Describing the growth chart as “superficial”, Joshi delved into the Mughal era and referred to the Akbar-Birbal saga and asserted that the government should verify the “tall figures” presented by the ground officers.
“The number and percentage of growth in every sector, including the GDP, should be previewed by the government, especially, in a vast country like India, which has a multi-layered work ecosystem,” he said.
The present BJP leadership claims the two year governance as ‘power favoring change’. The challenge to transform India from a socialist to a modern capitalist economy seemed to be initially accepted. But that fervor was dampened thereafter. All schemes and policies have ensured a growth of India’s GDP to 7.9 per cent. But the senior party leadership is concerned about the government’s policies under the Private Public Partnership (PPP) model in various sectors.
Though Joshi congratulated the Modi government on the completion of its two years in office, he said: “Policies should be made, favouring our countrymen. Their development and welfare should be the prime focus. It will also help boost the country’s economy and GDP.”
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi supported Joshi’s comments, saying, “The figures should be re-examined for public welfare. The numbers can be changed at any moment to highlight a particular scheme. But that is not favorable for the public.”