The Congress on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased in India during the last three years is far from truth. Senior leader Raj Babbar countered Modi's speech asserting that the FDI in 2017 has been minimum in the past 13 years.
Addressing the first PIO Parliamentarians Conference, Modi said over half the total investment into the country has come in the last three years while a record 16 billion dollars of FDI came into the country last year.
"During the UPA regime in 2014, fresh investment was 16.2 trillion dollars while in 2017 it was reduced to 7.2 trillion dollars. Growth in manufacturing sector has also reduced. Unemployment in the country has increased to such an extent that there were 1.5 crore unemployed," Babbar said at a Press conference.
The Rajya Sabha member said that while his party president Rahul Gandhi was more concerned about increasing unemployment and health facilities across the country, the Prime Minister remains in election mode ever since he attained the office.
Congress indicated that there has been a slowdown in India's real estate and manufacturing sector. ''Now, nothing was working,'' he said in a reply to the PM's sarcastic statement made ''sab chalta hai'' in UPA regime.
On Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bahrain, where he addressed delegates of 50 countries and is the chief guest, whether he was aping the Prime Minister on visits abroad, Babbar said the Congress president was trying to unify people.
On the Supreme Court saying that playing of national anthem in cinema halls will henceforth be optional, a day after the Centre informed the top court that it was in favour of modification of the November 2016 order, a complete turnabout from its previous stand on the issue, the Congress leader said it was diversionary tactic of the government but they respect the court judgement.