The economy will revert to ‘fragile five’ if the Cong manifesto is implemented: FM

If Congress’ poll manifesto were implemented, India’s economy, which is currently among the top five in the world, would fall to the ‘fragile five’, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

She alleged that the Congress poll document is “more like a Muslim League document” and the BJP has a duty to question its meaning.

Sitharaman’s attack comes against the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘conduct an economic survey and x-ray of society’ comments and the BJP’s claim that the Congress is planning a redistribution of wealth if it comes to power.

“It is the worst manifesto which is not in the interest of the nation,” Sitharaman said.

At a meeting with select journalists in Pune, the Finance Minister questioned whether the Congress has done the necessary financial planning to meet the guarantees listed in its manifesto.

“I know they won’t come to power, but I would still like to ask: even if the subject of the Congress manifesto were to be implemented, has the Congress done the homework on the expenditure required to fulfill the manifesto’s promises to come? she asked.

Citing Congress-ruled Karnataka, Sitharaman said they (Congress) were trying to implement the promises made during the state polls despite knowing they had no money.

“The deputy chief minister (of Karnataka) publicly acknowledged that they had run out of money for development as the money was spent on fulfilling five promises made during the elections,” she said.

“This is about just one state. If similar measures (in Congress’ poll manifesto) were implemented across the country, the economy, which is currently among the top five in the world and expected to rise to third position in the next few years. , would fall back into the ‘fragile five’,” the finance minister said.

It is the BJP’s duty to the nation to question the Congress poll paper.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Congress of planning to redistribute people’s property if it comes to power.

For its part, the Congress has accused the Prime Minister of resorting to “lies” and diverting people’s attention from the real issues.

Replying to a question, Sitharaman said it is the BJP that has set the agenda for the elections.

“Our response to the Congress manifesto is neither defensive nor negative, but rather offensive and substantive,” she said.

The manifesto looks more like a Muslim League document and if not, the Congress must stand up and counter this observation (of the BJP), Sitharaman said.

Referring to the criticism that the BJP is spreading misinformation about the Congress manifesto, Sitharaman said, “What is wrong? We are asking questions. (The manifesto) is the basic starting point of Congress ideology, if there was one” .

According to Sitharaman, there is consistency in the way the opposition is prioritizing wealth and its rights to it.

“The Congress says something in the manifesto. It says something additionally during public gatherings,” Sitharaman said when asked why Prime Minister Modi is raising the issue of wealth redistribution along religious lines.

She said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reiterated this point (conducting a caste census) when he talked about taking an x-ray of the society.

“You can say Congress didn’t mean it (wealth redistribution), but they say they mean it. When Prime Minister Modi asked… he asked because he saw the trend… he saw the written word and also the spoken word So he says this is what they are going to do,” Sitharaman added.

First print: May 4, 2024 | 11:29 PM IST