PM has accepted failure in his New Year message: BJP

BJP on Saturday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has “accepted” in his New Year message that his government has failed to control prices, tackle terrorism, and fight corruption.

“Most of the time the Prime Minister’s new year message is a mere ritual... In a way, he has accepted for the first time that his government has failed to control prices of essential commodities, fight terrorism, take the welfare schemes to the poor, and fight corruption,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Dr. Singh had said in his New Year message on Friday,” we will redouble our efforts to deal effectively and credibly with the challenges of inflation, cleansing our governing processes, national security and making our delivery system work for the aam aadmi.”

Mr. Javadekar claimed that the UPA government “gives assurance every 100 days that it will control prices in 100 days.”

“Not even 24 hours had passed since the assurance from the Prime Minister when the government increased CNG prices,” Mr. Javadekar said.

The BJP maintained that if the government was serious about fighting corruption then it should go ahead and form a JPC into the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

“On the issue of terrorism and naxalism, government is playing politics and speaking in two voices. While Digvijay Singh and his friends are saying something, P Chidambaram and others are speaking in a different language,” Mr. Javadekar said.

The principal opposition alleged that the Prime Minister had become a mute spectator to the corruption in his government, be it 2G or Commonwealth Games.

“Checking corruption in his government is his constitutional responsibility,” Mr. Javadekar said.

BJP alleged that welfare schemes for the poor were effective only on paper and not on the ground.