Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday lashed out at the Narendra Modi government, declaring it was “obsessed” with attempting to fix blame on opponents than finding solutions to problems.
Singh was speaking to mediapersons in Mumbai after interacting with depositors of the troubled Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank. Singh argued the economic slowdown and government apathy were affecting the “aspirations and future” of Indians. Singh alleged the Modi government’s “obsession with low inflation” was inflicting misery on farmers and its import-export policies were hurting.
Singh also did not spare the Maharashtra government, stating both the Centre and State administrations were unwilling to adopt people-friendly policies. “Maharashtra has highest factory shutdowns in last five years… Business sentiment was down across Maharashtra,” Singh declared, adding many units were facing closure.
Referring to the Enforcement Directorate investigating NCP leader Praful Patel, Singh hoped the Modi government would not use political vendetta to settle scores. Referring to the PMC Bank issue, Singh said, “I expect the government of India, RBI and the government of Maharashtra to put their head together and provide a credible, pragmatic and effective solution to this case where 16 lakh depositors are trying for justice.”
