NEW DELHI: Union finance minister
Arun Jaitley once again took to
Facebook on Friday to attack the
Congress, which responded with its own jibe on
Twitter.
Jaitley's latest post - on Friday - is titled, 'The Congress Gave Slogans to Rural India - Prime Minister Modi Gave Resources'.
Congress spokesman Surjewala's Friday tweet headline is, 'Double whammy of '
Jumlanomics' strikes again!'
The finance minister chose to wax eloquent on new World Bank data that reveals that India has now become the sixth largest economy in the World. The Congress spokesman pegged his tweet to Thursday's
retail inflation numbers which showed that retail prices have touched a five-month high.
"...ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over, the Government's own yardstick for performance has become stiffer. How quickly are we able to deplete poverty levels of a section of our people poses a major challenge? ... How are we able to bring a significant section of our people into the neo-middle class so that their aspirations can also be met with?" asked Jaitley, among other things.
This policy of Modi's is, said Jaitley, much different than that of Congress governments of the past.
"We will not follow the model of 1970s & 1980s of the Congress Party. That model essentially involved populist slogans rather than sound policy and actual expenditure for the welfare of the poor," wrote Jaitley.
The Congress's Surjewala said Modi's 'Jumlanomics' - a term signifying fake, hifalutin promises - "is making sure that all indices of Economy remain vulnerable!"
"Industrial Growth plunges to a 7 month low! ?? Retail Inflation soars to a 5 month high ?? Will FM's(?)- 'Asleep at the Wheel' answer" he tweeted.
Here's a link to Jaitley's (much longer) Facebook post.
As Lok Sabha polls 2019 approach, get set for more rhetoric on Facebook and Twitter, and, of course, at just about every political party event.
