Patna, May 22: Congress spokesman Raj Babbar on Friday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "Paridhan Mantri" (dress minister) over his penchant for frequently changing attire both inside and outside the country.
" Wo (Modi) pradhan mantri kam aur paridhan mantra jyada nazar aate hain. Wo pradhan mantri banker sonche aur kaam karen (He looks less of a Prime Minister and more as dress minister. He should rather think and act like a Prime Minister)," Babbar said.
The actor-turned-politician was in Patna as part of the Congress' "expose Modi government" plan in the run-up to the central government completing a year in office on May 26. The party has decided to use a battery of AICC spokespersons to discredit the BJP-led government at the Centre.
"Maharaj Narendra Damodar Das Modi's government has become a government of 'suit, boot and loot'. It has completed a year in office and every section of society - be it the youth, the unemployed, farmers or small businessmen - are feeling cheated by its words and action," Babbar said. He also wondered how the Modi government has doled out $1 billion to Mongolia when it inherited a baggage of problems and an empty chest. "One billion dollar help to Mongolia means it would come to Rs 22,500 per Mongolian, whereas our farmers are committing suicide because of small loan amounts of Rs 10,000."
Accompanying him were Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhary, Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh, party MLC Madan Mohan Jha and party spokesman H.K. Verma.
Babbar said Modi had made an election promise at Pathankot last year that if voted to power, his government would give cost of production plus 50 per cent as minimum support price (MSP) to farmers, but it seems the government has backtracked from its promise.
In its February 6, 2015 affidavit filed before Supreme Court, the Centre termed the idea of giving cost of production plus 50 per cent as MSP to farmers a "distortion". The government said the proposition may distort the market and a mechanical linkage between MSP and cost of production may prove counter-productive in some cases.
Babbar said the agriculture growth rate dipped to 1.1 per cent in 2014-15 from 4.7 per cent in 2013-14. Foodgrain production also declined to 2,500 lakh MT in 2014-15, from 2,650 lakh MT in 2013-14. "Even export of wheat, rice and maize declined by 135 lakh MT, which is 29 per cent, during Modi regime. Such is the impact of Modinomics," he said.
Taking on Modi on his international tours, Babbar said: "Our country is continuously facing natural disasters and the Prime Minister is touring foreign countries on taxpayer's money. Be it Mongolia, South Korea, China, Australia, Canada or the US, you name a country and he is there."
Hitting out at Modi for not visiting areas in the country that are facing severe agrarian crisis, Babbar said the Prime Minister has "time to click selfies, but no time for farmers".
"Bihar is also faced with a natural calamity, but how many times has the Prime Minister visited the state which gave him 31 Lok Sabha seats and the agriculture minister? When did he come to listen to problems faced by farmers who are in distress," Babbar asked.
He summed up his press meet with an old song, Sajanawa bairee ho gaye humaar, from Raj Kapoor's film 'Teesri Kasam', of which the lyrics translate to mean My love has become my enemy, If it was a letter, I would share it with someone, but one cannot share their fate with anyone..."
