"I regret to point out that the (BJP's) resolution (at the National Executive of the party) is an exercise in self-deception and is aimed at spreading disinformation," he said. He admitted that "we have not overcome all our problems. We admit inflation is a problem," but added that the government was yet to hear any "concrete suggestions" from the BJP-NDA to moderate the rate of price rise.
The BJP on its part today demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "You the economist Prime Minister, cannot manage the economy, cannot manage India. Please quit," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
He claimed that inflation had reached new heights during Manmohan Singh's tenure as finance minister in the P V Narasimha Rao-led government. The situation is similiar when he is the Prime Minister, Prasad said.
"Today the inflation has increased further to reach 8.24 per cent. On March 31, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had promised that recent measures taken by the government would show results in two weeks. But now it has been eight weeks and sufferings of the common man have grown by the day," Prasad said.
Even a bumper harvest has failed to improve the situation. "Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said that we have had a bumper crop of 2.1 lakh tonnes. This has not brought any relief. It is all due to UPA's mismanagement of food economy," Prasad said.