Opposition leaders discussing statues, instead of vision: Sibal

In an attack on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Union minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday said that instead of sharing their vision on issues, opposition leaders were discussing matters like erecting statues.

“The debate that we are hearing in the country is — you have done this, you have done that, you have damaged the country. Talk issues,” he said, adding that the present political discourse was revolving too much around criticism and opposition.

“What is your vision on health, education. What is your vision on the economy. What is their alternative vision, nobody is discussing that. And what is being discussed is that we want to raise a statue. That statue, it is a feeling, you keep it in your heart. The feeling of unity arises from the heart or can it be created by erecting statues,” he said.

Mr. Sibal was apparently referring to Mr. Modi’s pet project of installing the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat.

He said that those who focussed solely on criticism and opposition, cannot succeed.

“What we should see is a debate on issues like what kind of a country we should have. What kind of education should be provided to children to allow them to grow,” he told reporters here.