Don’t want to enter competition with Modiji on humble background: Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Ashok Gehlot in Surat on Saturday.

Former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that he does not want to enter any competition with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on “humble backgrounds” they both come from. This comes days after Modi mentioned the “chaiwala” jibe, put up recently on a Twitter handle associated with the Youth Congress, in his recent campaign speeches in Gujarat.

Asked about Modi’s references to his background as a tea seller on the sidelines of an interaction with diamond and textile businessmen in Surat, Singh said, “I don’t want to say that I come from a humble background. I don’t want the country to take pity on me on the basis of my humble background. I don’t think I would like to enter into any competition with Prime Minister Modi-ji on this matter.”

Singh said that demonetisation, coupled with poor implementation of GST and rise of “tax terrorism” under the guise of controlling corruption, have “certainly damaged small- and medium-scale businesses”. He said, “Lack of credit from public sector banks to the small-business sector has added to the problems. We have heard a number of nice-sounding slogans such as ‘Start-up India’, ‘Skill India’ and ‘Stand Up India’, but they are not being backed up by effective policies. Slogans comes first and efforts to define policies come much later (for this government).”

Asked about Modi’s claim that 2 lakh companies had closed down during the UPA era, Singh said, “There were some problems, and effective action was taken against the guilty, found after proper examination…. I am not sure what actions Modi-ji has in mind; he never expresses.” At the meeting with businessmen, Singh repeated that November 8, when Modi announced withdrawal of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 from circulation last year, was a “black day” for Indian economy and democracy. “Demonetisation was clearly not a solution. It (implementing demonetisation) was suggested many times in the past, but as a responsible government we never took the drastic measure — its costs exceeded the benefits substantially.”

Asked about Modi’s assertion during election campaign that the Congress was anti-Gujarati, Singh said, “I was surprised (by Modi’s remarks). During election times many things are said, but if they are gross distortion they needed to be rebutted. Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi’s face is on every currency note…Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru had worked hand in hand to consolidate the gains of freedom. Nothing is gained, as is often attempted by Modi-ji, to pit the two great leaders.”

Another great leader from Gujarat, Singh said, was former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, “who was with Congress and later left. (He) was very close to me; I worked with him when he was the Prime Minister from 1977 to 1979. I also worked with H M Patel, (who was) Finance Minister in Morarjibhai Desai’s government. I was close to him, too.” Singh said it is “worrying” that in a world where “economic policies are becoming increasingly complex, we are not developing a culture where policy options are critically assessed, and criticisms offered are listened to take corrective actions. If leaders only want to be praised, they will hear only praise. This is not a recipe for vikas (development).”

Comparing the economic reforms ushered in by the NDA with those carried out by the UPA, Singh said, “When the BJP came to power in 2014 the country was going through a slowdown and there were global factors…and our inability to resolve domestic problems. When UPA 1 and 2 were in power, the GDP was 7.8 per cent, but the NDA (government), when it came to power, assured that it will take the growth to 8 -10 per cent. “In last three, years the average is only 7.3 per cent.”