Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has admitted that price rise was a major problem confronting the United Progressive Alliance government in its second term.
In a book brought out by the Congress with Mr. Mukherjee as its chief editor, he has said: “Inflation based on high prices of foodgrains continues to be a challenge.” The book Congress and the Making of the Indian Nation was released at the just-concluded party plenary marking 125 years of the party. It praises Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for providing an “image of stability and sobriety” to the government. “This is vital for the Congress at a time when it is projecting itself as a party of responsible governance,” it says.
Noting with concern that containment of Maoist violence and external security threats were issues before the country, it says: “India's traditional enemy Pakistan is strengthened by being an ally of the U.S., in its ‘War against terror' in Afghanistan.”
Hails Sonia Gandhi
The book hails Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her decision to decline Prime Ministership after leading the UPA to power in 2004. “Not since the days of the freedom struggle was such a complete separation of the objective of personal power and the objective of achieving social ideals seen. People looked upon Sonia Gandhi's renunciation of power as reminiscent of the Mahatma.”The book said: “An able leadership of government was combined with the exemplary and selfless leadership of the party by Sonia Gandhi.”
