Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, on Tuesday, struck back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s sharp criticism of the Union Budget.
In response to Gandhi, who had said in Parliament the previous day that the Budget had stabbed the middle class in the back and chest, Goyal said it was the 10 years of Congress-led UPA government during 2004-14 that had brought people to their knees.
“In every respect the 10 years of the UPA were a failed experiment, reflected a failed government, reflected a failed governance model. And brought the country and people of the country to their knees,” Goyal said at a press briefing.
On Gandhi’s assertion that the INDIA alliance will ensure MSP legal guarantee for crops, Goyal countered that the UPA had never spoken on MSP guarantee during its ten years in power.
“What did the UPA do in the 10 years when they were in government? I have read 10 speeches of the UPA government, never once has there been a mention of bringing in a legal guarantee for MSP,” he said.
Chinese FDI
Asked about the Economic Survey backing Chinese investments, Goyal said there is no rethinking on supporting FDI from China.
He further stated that the UPA government had failed to perform despite inheriting a strong economy. “In 2004, the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, is on record to say that he has inherited a strong economy. At that time, the growth rate was over eight per cent, inflation was around four per cent, foreign exchange reserves were robust, compared to the size of the economy at that point of time,” he said.
The UPA had taken fiscal deficit up to 9.1 per cent, and it is indeed good news that it has come down to 4.6 per cent, he said.
On Gandhi’s promise to conduct a caste census if the INDIA alliance comes to power, Goyal asked why the UPA did not undertake the census when it was in power.