New Delhi: Signalling
the Congress-led UPA's intention to continue with decisions to
revive high GDP growth, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday
said economic reforms was not a "once for all process" and the
government will do what was good for the country.
Speaking to reporters at Rashtrapti Bhawan after the swearing-in
ceremony of Justice Altamas Kabir as the new Chief Justice of
India, the prime minister said: "Reform is not a once for all
process."
The remarks evoked an attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
which accused him of working under US pressure while the Congress
defended him saying that he always acts in the best interest of
the country.
The BJP, Left and other parties have strongly protested the
government's recent economic decisions, including allowing Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, hike in diesel
price and cap on subsidised LPG cylinders to six for each
household per year.
Some Congress allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
government have also expressed their reservations over the
decisions.
Asked whether UPA allies were demanding a rollback of the recent
economic steps announced by the government, Manmohan Singh said:
"We will do what is good for the country."
Asked about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that
the FDI decision had been taken to please the US, the prime
minister said India took decisions in its own interests.
"We are not a country to be dictated by other countries," the
prime minister said.
Asked about attacks by Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee, who has
pulled out of the UPA, the prime minister said: "I am not bitter
about anything."
Banerjee said that "reform" was being used to justify anti-people
decisions. "Reforms are meant to usher development for the people.
Now-a-days, whenever any anti-people decision is taken, it is
taken in the name of reforms. In the name of reforms and 'aam admi',
loot cholchhe (loot is going on)," Banerjee said on the social
network site Facebook.
Replying to a question on the Supreme Court's opinion that auction
was not the sole method of allocating natural resources, Manmohan
Singh said: "We will honour and respect the judgment. We welcome
it."
On other contentious issues, Manmohan Singh said, "We are far away
from elections. We can discuss anything."
BJP leader Balbir Punj said: "We welcome what he (Manmohan Singh)
said, but he has not done anything for the welfare of the
country."
"He is under US pressure. India is independent no doubt, but the
prime minister is surely not independent. He is under 10 Janpath,
and overall, he works under US pressure," Punj told a television
channel.
Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit rejected the BJP's criticism
and said the prime minister always acts in the best interests of
the country. "The prime minister does what he is convinced
(about)," Diskshit said.
He said the the BJP had also looked at the possibility of FDI in
multi-brand retail when it was in power.
Manmohan Singh had addressed the nation earlier this month
defending his government's economic decisions and had asked people
not to be misled by those who wanted to confuse by spreading fear
and false information.
He had said that time had come for "hard decisions" and had sought
people's trust, understanding and cooperation.
|