Opposition has no real issue against govt, says Jaitley

NEWDELHI: As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gears up for re-election at the Centre, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said the government will contest on a pro-incumbency performance platform.

In a blog on Facebook, Jaitley said it was in recognition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s performance that the Opposition, after five years, has “no real” issue against the government.

“It is a government with a leader with whom the comfort level of the voter is high. The Opposition is in a state of panic. Its single point programme is a negative one - ‘remove one man’,” he said.

The finance minister dubbed the issues raked up by the Opposition, such as the alleged corruption in the Rafale deal, demonetisation, GST roll out and allegation that loans worth ₹2,50,000 crore of 15 industrialists have been waived by this government, as “fake and manufactured”.

With the Opposition parties rallying together against the BJP government, PM Modi earlier this month said, “The opposition wants to get rid of Modi, I want to get rid of terrorism.”

Taking on the Opposition, Jaitley said fake allegations against the PM and the party will not stick as voters have the ability to sift truth from lies. “The voter has a huge potential to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Truth holds. Falsehood falls apart. Political leaders are overconfident of their wisdom. Little do they realise that the electorate is wiser than them,” he said.