Karnataka - Mysore   

Don’t politicise hunger: Kapil Sibal

Kapil Sibal

MYSORE: The Union Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development Kapil Sibal said the Government had taken all measures to stem the inflation rate and results would be obvious in three months.

Coming down heavily on the Opposition, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party for politicising the issue, Mr. Sibal said “you may have hunger for politics but do not politicise hunger”.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Sibal, who is also the convener of the All India Congress Committee National Media Committee, said the inflation rate was higher during the National Democratic Alliance regime and the average rate had hovered around 6 to 8 per cent then and it had been more than 8 per cent for a few months. But this was because of the drought across the country and hence the Congress did not politicise it.

He attributed the present inflationary trends to the global surge in the price of oil and steel and said the Government could do little if the oil prices shoot up over $ 115 a barrel. However, he said the Government had not abdicated its responsibility for the poor and those below the poverty line would be supplied with kerosene and oil through the Public Distribution System at a subsidised rate. The poor have been cushioned against the impact of inflation on food items, said Mr. Sibal.

Commenting on the prospects of the Congress in the Assembly polls, Mr. Sibal said that the people of the State would vote for stability which only the Congress could provide as they were fed up with the coalition tamasha enacted by the JD(S) and the BJP.

“We are not the cause of confusion in Karnataka as the Congress Government fell because the Janata Dal (S) withdrew support and the former did not extend support to the BJP,” he added.

Extolling the policies launched by the Congress during the regime of S.M. Krishna, Mr. Sibal said this had enabled Bangalore, in particular, and Karnataka in general, to be what it is today —an information technology and bio technology hub of the country.

Mr.Sibal listed the industrial policy 2001-06, export promotion policy 2002-07, tourism policy 2002-07, agro-food processing policy 2003, the Millennium BPO policy 2002, the industrial promotion policy for the automobile industry 2000, and the Millennium biotech policy 2000 as some of the key elements that helped shape the economics and standing of Karnataka.

Mr. Sibal was in Mysore to campaign for the Congress candidates.

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