By Bhupen Goswami

 

Guwahati : Congress stalwart and former finance minister, P Chidambaram, on Friday, addressed the media at Rajiv Bhawan, Guwahati and spoke about the completion of two years of demonetisation in the country and its ‘catastrophic consequences’.

Delivering the opening statement, Chidambaram said, “Demonetisation was an ill-conceived move inspired by people who are totally unqualified on matters concerning money and the economy. Its consequences were catastrophic. Two years after demonetisation derailed the Indian economy, the government should put out a self-defense of demonetisation and it benefits without admitting its mistake.” He further added that such a government does not deserve to be re-elected. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday at Guwahati alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government did not fulfil the promises it made five years ago and said it had achieved “nothing”.The former finance minister said the BJP-led government began its term with promises of development, jobs and depositing money into people’s bank accounts, but now it is promising grand temples, statues and doles.

Chidambaram’s remarks alluded to the recent inauguration of a giant statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by Modi and the BJP’s promise to build a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram.

“At the beginning of five years, the promise is for development, jobs and money in every citizen’s bank account. Nothing achieved, at the end of five years, the new promise is for grand temples, giant statues and doles,” the Congress leader said in a tweet. With Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, Chidambaram has been targeting the Modi government over its alleged failure to fulfil the pre-poll promises made by his party.Chidambaram informed the gathering that the Congress party is opposed to the Bhartiya Janata Party because it believes that the BJP’s vision of India is majoritarian, exclusive, discriminatory and illiberal. Further, it believes that the BJP has not fulfilled any of the promises that it had made to come to power and termed them as a ‘Jumla’.

The former finance minister arrived in Guwahati on Thursday night to chalk out a strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and also presented the objectives of the Congress party.