Asking the Congress to shed its “anti-growth, anti-development agenda”, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said here on Saturday that the major challenges before the government in the coming years were the global economy, agrarian situation and poor domestic investment.
“Therefore, though the government has succeeded on the economic front and tamed inflation — and the global economy is outside our control — these are the three areas which we see as important questions,” he said addressing his second press conference in two days on the Narendra Modi government’s first year in office.
Among the successes during the year was the formation of BJP governments singly or in coalition in five States and the financial inclusion and social security schemes which, he said, were not formulated with elections in mind, but to bring every citizen under the social security net.
Asking the Congress and other Opposition parties to set aside political competition to back the government on such issues, he said: “If India grows by 7.5 per cent, it should never be satisfied. We have to aspire for more, and this aspiration and restlessness of people should be a pressure on parties, especially the Congress, which have adopted an anti-growth and anti-development agenda.”
Will maintain close ties with T.N.: Jaitley
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said the NDA government would maintain “the best relationship” with the Tamil Nadu government and fully cooperate with it for a successful tenure, but ruled out an alliance with either the AIADMK or the DMK in the State for now.
Congratulating Ms. Jayalalithaa on becoming Chief Minister, Mr. Jaitley said: “We wish her all success in this tenure.” Asked at a press conference about the possibility of a BJP alliance with either the AIADMK or the DMK for the Assembly elections, he said: “The BJP is not a part of AIADMK or DMK alliance in the State. There are many issues in Parliament where we agree with the parties and they cooperate with us and we with them. But there are issues of differences also.
“As far as elections in Tamil Nadu are concerned, at present we have our own strategy but as far as government-to-government relation is concerned we will maintain the best relationship with the government of Tamil Nadu and fully cooperate with them for a successful tenure... ”
Published - May 24, 2015 01:52 am IST