 "Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat")
Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sidestepped key issues, like economy and agriculture, and instead devoted his over an hour-long speech in the Lok Sabha to target the opposition party and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Thorat, who is also the state Congress chief, said Modi did not say a single word on issues like unemployment and the "crumbling" economy.
"Rather than addressing the issues being faced by the country, the prime minister criticised the Congress, opposition parties and Nehru in his one-and-a-half-hour long speech, but issues like generation of jobs, economy and problems in the agricultural sector were completely ignored," Thorat said.
"The Modi government has announced a 16-point programme for farmers in the country, but the anti-farmer policies of this government has led the cultivators towards bankruptcy. The promise of doubling of income and giving 1.5 times minimum support price has also remained unfulfilled," he said.
The state Revenue Minister said the target of achieving $5 trillion economy is not in line with reality.
"The economy is on the verge of collapse; the GDP is below 5 per cent and due to the economic crisis, many industries are shutting down. Then on what basis has the target of $5 trillion economy been set?" he asked.
Thorat said Modi's statement that he lives life as per the principles set by Mahatma Gandhi is "height of double standards".
"His party has time and again used foul language for Gandhiji. To follow the path laid down by Gandhiji is not possible for Modi and his party," he said.
