Economy in state of doom, gloom: Mamata

With the GDP projections revised downwards, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the NDA government at the Centre, saying the economy was in “a state of doom and gloom”.

Inaugurating INFOCOM 2019, Banerjee dwelt on the rising prices of essentials including onions which were selling at Rs 140 per kilo and said the big industrialists were loathe to invest due to fear of central agencies.

“Look what has happened to the GDP. Our economy is under a state of gloom and doom,” she said.

On the apprehensions of industrialists, who are afraid of raids by central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department, she refered to Bajaj Group chairman Rahul Bajaj speaking out about the government’s alleged intolerance of criticism.

“Rahul Bajaj had the guts to speak out. But I feel he has been put under scanner since then. Each of us are all under scanner,” Banerjee said, underscoring that governments should desist from interfering in matters of the industry and instead help them out.

At an event in Delhi over the weekend with Home Minister Amit Shah in the audience, the Bajaj Group Chairman raised the concern that although the government was “doing good”, there was “no confidence” among the public and the industry whether the government would appreciate if it was criticised.

Banerjee said her government had no plans to interfere in affairs of the industry.

“We have no desire to interfere with the matters of the industry, the way the BJP government is doing. Many of the industrialists have left Indian shores as they are scared,” she claimed.

Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of trying to divert attention of the public from the economic slowdown by taking up the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

“NRC and CAB two sides of the same coin. Will oppose both of them tooth and nail,” she said.

“NRC and CAB are being taken up to divert attention from economic slowdown,” said Banerjee who has consistently opposed both the NRC and CAB.

The government plans to introduce the CAB in Parliament next week. A copy of the bill which seeks to fast-track the grant of Indian citizenship to religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, was distributed among members of Parliament on Friday morning for them to study it.

Agencies