Congressman Rahul Gandhi today tweeted a list of “Modi-caused disasters” (file)
New Delhi:
Congressional leader Rahul Gandhi continued to attack the government on Wednesday, two days after a record drop in GDP amid the coronavirus crisis and as Chinese forces continue to engage in provocative military actions in Ladakh, listing ” disasters caused by Modi “to have affected India.
Gandhi’s attack continued from where party colleague P Chidambaram left off yesterday; Chidambaram told NDTV that the country should not “blame God for a man-made disaster” – a two-in-one blow against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s observation of “act of God” and the sharp drop in GDP. .
“India is reeling from Modi disasters: historic reduction in GDP -23.9%; highest unemployment in 45 years; job loss of 12 million rupees; center not paying state GST fees; cases COVID-19 daily and deaths highest globally; external aggression at our borders, “Kerala MP Lok Sabha tweeted this morning.
India is reeling from Modi disasters:
1. Historical reduction in GDP -23.9%
2. Highest unemployment in 45 years
3. 12 Crs job loss
4. Center that does not pay the states their GST fees
5. World’s highest daily COVID-19 cases and deaths
6. External aggression at our borders– Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 2, 2020
Yesterday, Mr. Chidambaram, former Union Finance Minister, said: “The pandemic is a natural disaster. But you are aggravating the pandemic, a natural disaster, with a man-made disaster.”
On August 31, the government released GDP data for the first quarter of 2020/21. The data showed that GDP had fallen 23.9 percent, the highest in more than 40 years.
The drop had been suggested by current Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a GST Council meeting last week; she had said: “… This year we are facing an extraordinary situation. We are facing an act of God in which we can even see a contraction”.
Also on Monday, the government said that Chinese troops had once again engaged in provocative actions along the southern shore of Ladakh’s Pangong Lake.
Since May, Chinese forces have repeatedly transgressed six areas along the disputed Royal Line of Control in eastern Ladakh. In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action in the Galwan Valley.
Gandhi has repeatedly warned the government about both crises.
The Covid lockdown, which has been in place since March and is easing through a series of “Unlock” periods (“Unlock5” is currently in effect), has been linked to a number of problems for the economy, including Unemployment.
Gandhi’s reference to 12 trillion unemployed was drawn from a May report by Bloomberg, which cited a World Bank study that said day laborers and the poorest people were among the hardest hit.
The lockdown and its impact on the economy has also affected tax collection, with the center struggling to pay GST fees to state governments.
India is the third country most affected by the Covid pandemic; Nearly 70,000 new cases were reported in the previous 24 hours, the government said this morning, bringing the total number to more than 37.7 lakh. So far, more than 66,000 people have died after being infected by the virus.
Gandhi’s latest comment follows accusations that the government is “trying to turn you (informal sector workers) into slaves.”
In a video posted on Twitter, before the government confirmed a massive drop in GDP, he said the economy was “witnessing a slowdown for the first time in 40 years” because the informal sector was being “attacked.”
The former head of Congress has frequently advised the government to consider immediate social welfare measures to help the poorest sectors of society, those most affected by the lack of economic activity during the shutdown and with little or no liquidity to help them overcome. these difficulties. times.
He has also urged the government to consider, among other measures, direct cash injections to the poor, arguing that higher spending is the most effective way to revive the stuttering economy.
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