Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday spoke at length about various problems prevalent in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Right from joblessness to farmer suicides, the former Prime Minister held the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state responsible for these problems.
“There are a few important issues affecting Madhya Pradesh which should be addressed- MSPs, farmer suicides, Vyapam scam, Rafale scam,” Singh said while addressing the media at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Singh said maximum people in India who ended their lives due to unemployment belong to BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
“Where are the jobs? Creation of 2 crore jobs per annum promised by Mr. Modi in 2014 turns out to be a pipedream. The only reliable data is the quarterly survey of Labour Bureau, which reveals only a few thousand jobs are created,” Singh said.
“2,81,000 youths with MBA, LLB, Ph.D have applied for 730 peons post in February 2018. That is one indicator of the severity of the crisis of joblessness in MP. On average, only 17,600 jobs were created every year in MP,” he added.
Raising the issue of farmer suicides, Singh said that Madhya Pradesh recorded a total of 17,000 farmer suicides between 2004-16. He also remembered the brutal Mandsaur firing, in which five farmers were killed in police firing at two places in Pipliyamandi town of Mandsaur district on June 6, 2017.
“What can be more painful than the fact that in Raisen farmers were killed using AK-47 rifles by the BJP govt. The merciless killing of farmers in Mandsaur is fresh in memory,” he said.
Launching an attack on the Modi Government, the former Prime Minister said that corruption has only peaked under the former’s regime.
“The Modi govt came to power on the promises to usher transparency and fight corruption. A few months are left for its term to end, but, we have only witnessed corruption peaking under Modi government. The Vyapam Scam has marred the future of our 70 lakh young men and women in which over 50 people lost their lives. E-tendering scam involves large-scale manipulation in govt bids to favour a few private companies,” he said.
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Terming Demonetisation as a monumental failure of epic proportions, Singh said none of the objectives have been achieved.
“Modi government seeks to build a false narrative to justify Demonetisation by inventing new arguments from time to time. But it was a monumental failure of epic proportions. None of the objectives have been achieved. Demonetisation was a deliberate and designed attack on the savings of small businesses, farmers and housewives,” he said.
“Multiple revelations have only exposed how Demonetisation was only a dubious scheme to convert black money to white. The promise made by Mr. Modi in 2014 elections to bring back Indian black money lying in Swiss banks has turned out to be a hollow promise,” he added.
Furthering his attack on the BJP, Singh said that Democracy and rule of law are under attack and that efforts are being made to weaken our institutions.
“We have witnessed how the credibility of our institutions like Parliament, CBI have been systematically denigrated. A careful, well-thought out and calibrated effort is being made by the powers to weaken these institutions. Democracy and rule of law are under attack. We have to fight this onslaught on our institutions otherwise history shall never forgive the present generation,” he said.
Reminding people of the contributions made by the Congress, Singh said that the roots of the party and its inseparable bond with its people dates back to the days of the national movement.
“I was PM for 10 years, and UPA govt has always treated Madhya Pradesh with justice. Roots of the Congress party and its inseparable bond with its people dates back to the days of the national movement- Flag Satyagraha, Salt Satyagraha and Jungle Satyagraha are the notable movements launched by the party,” he said.
Madhya Pradesh goes to polls on November 28.