NEW DELHI, May 22:
BJP today targeted Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for the “failures” of the UPA-II Government in the last four years, saying the presence of two power centres and his “indecision, inability and silence” have led to an environment of “gloom and pessimism” in the country.
In a joint press conference here, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley said there is nothing to celebrate for the UPA-II Government on its fourth anniversary.
“UPA-II’s anniversary is being celebrated in an environment of gloom, pessimism and negativism. Rarely has the nation witnessed the kind of cynicism against the Government as is prevalent today,” Jaitley said.
The Government has failed to provide leadership, keep its coalition together, improve the economy, check corruption, or ensure national security and safety of women, they said.
Attacking Singh, the two senior BJP leaders said power does not vest in the Prime Minister and hence, the UPA model is “structurally defective”.
“Manmohan Singh is the Prime Minister, but (he is) neither a leader of the country nor the leader of his own party. Singh’s colleagues sit with him in the Cabinet and look towards the UPA Chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) for directions. Such a split leadership is the biggest failure of UPA,” Swaraj said.
Echoing Swaraj, Jaitley said, “UPA has devalued the Prime Minister’s post.” He added that Singh’s Cabinet colleagues look at the heir apparent (Rahul Gandhi) for future leadership.
Though the party dismissed the idea of a Third Front as a “failed idea” and said it does not exist, BJP was evasive on questions about the tussle among its leaders for becoming the Prime Ministerial candidate.
Asked as to who BJP will project as its PM candidate in the next Lok Sabha elections, Swaraj said, “Whether we will have a (Prime Ministerial) face or not and if we decide to have a face, who it will be, these issues will be decided by the BJP Parliamentary Board.”
The BJP leader, who is also seen as one of the contenders, maintained that the decision would be taken in two phases. After the Parliamentary Board takes a decision on the issue, the matter would be discussed with the NDA partners.
She said senior party leader L K Advani cannot be ruled out as a possible PM candidate of the BJP. “We have not ruled him out. Nobody has said his name will not be discussed,” she said in reply to a question.
Swaraj was confident that BJP will be able to invite more parties to the NDA fold.
BJP will take to the streets to apprise the people of the “failures” of the UPA Government.
“UPA-II has seen more corruption than UPA-I. There have been mind-boggling scams which were not seen by any previous Government,” Swaraj said.
Jaitley pointed out that even during the earlier decades when growth rate was only 2-3 per cent the term “policy paralysis” was not used against the Government as is being done now. Swaraj said infrastructure projects worth Rs 7.5 lakh crore are awaiting a nod from the Government.
“A reverse flight of investment from the country has started,” she said.
The party maintained that differences between the Prime Minister and Congress grew when a game of “oneupmanship” began between them. Swaraj said while the Government takes some anti-people measure, Sonia Gandhi intervenes and gets its mitigated to win applause.
BJP also charged the Government with showing a “callous disregard” for democratic institutions be it the CAG, CVC, CBI, NHRC or the Election Commission. “SP and BSP which save this Government would not do so if the Government did not misuse the CBI,” Jaitley said.
On the foreign policy front, BJP alleged that “even a country like Maldives is defying us”. (PTI)
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