Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 12: Opposition Congress party today slammed Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) at Centre, saying the security situation is worse than it was in last 20 years.
Addressing a press conference here, senior Congress leader and former Railway Minister Pawan Bansal said the security situation across the country is bad and an atmosphere of fear is prevailing.. “Our national security, internal security is worse than it was in the last 20 years. There is no personal security for a citizen so that he can live his life freely,” he added.
Bansal, referring to cow vigilantes, said the BJP Chief Ministers and senior leaders give statements which are implemented by the vigilantes on the ground without waiting for the Government. “All this has created an atmosphere of fear in the country which is a big danger to the democratic set up of the country and the basic freedom,” he said.
The Congress leader said that in Jammu and Kashmir, “the failure of BJP to rise above the personal and party calculations and considerations and to look at the situation in the perspective of historical background of the Valley has pushed the State to the present position of confrontation”.
“There is political vacuum in the state and no vision to resolve to work out a solution to the present unrest and alienation. In the meanwhile, the state’s fragile tourism-based economy remains badly affected. There is a need of initiative to convert the anger of youth to hope and to draw them into a position where they consider themselves as stakeholders in a process of peace, stability and development,” he said.
The former Railway Minister castigated the coalition ministers in State, saying they have no idea as to how to address the issue. “Various ministers give different statements,” he said and suggested that “they should take everyone along by taking their views so that there is a consensus”.
Bansal alleged that the economy had slowed down during the three-year rule of the BJP. “45 crore people, including 25 crore labour and 15 crore daily earners have been affected by demonetization. The GDP has fallen. Seven months after demonetization, they do not say how much black money was found or how much money was re-deposited?” he said.
He said the BJP had promised creation of two crore jobs each year but only one lakh were provided employment last year. The former minister said the BJP Government earned a windfall of Rs 233,000 crore by a reduction in crude oil prices from USD 107.09 to USD 47.42 from May 2014 to May 2017. “Where has the money gone? Why was the benefit of reduced oil prices not given to the consumer?,” he questioned.
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