Cong cites Bajaj’s remarks to target govt
...After ages someone from the corporate world, all of whom preach a lot to the opposition, has the courage to speak some truth to power
ABHISHEK SINGHVI said in a tweet
NEWDELHI: The Congress on Sunday cited the remarks of industrialist Rahul Bajaj to attack the government, alleging that “investment has taken a beating in view of the vitiated atmosphere” in the country over the past five years.
At a function in Mumbai on Saturday, Bajaj had said there is an atmosphere of fear and people are afraid to criticise the government and do not have the confidence that any criticism will be appreciated.
“What Mr Rahul Bajaj has said is the sentiment shared across the country, across every sector. The atmosphere of this country has been vitiated over the last five years but I am sure it is not beyond repair, because the country has some resilience,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told reporters during a press briefing at the party headquarters.
“And if there is no harmony in a society, in a country, in a city, how do you expect investors to come and put their money there? Money only goes where it can thrive, where it can celebrate itself, where it can multiply, where it can grow, and it can only grow in areas where there is peace, harmony, mutual interdependence and happiness,” Khera added.
The Congress also posted the video of Bajaj’s remarks on its official Twitter handle and wrote, “It can be difficult to speak truth to power. Circumstances, however, have made doing so increasingly necessary. #Rahulbajaj stands out for his courage and integrity and for calling spade a spade.”
The BJP responded strongly to Bajaj’s remarks. “….Wear your political affiliation on your sleeve and don’t hide behind inanities like there is atmosphere of fear and all that…. Truth be told – industrialists who flourished in the license raj will always be beholden to the Congress,” BJP social media head Amit Malviya said in a series of tweets.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman while posting a video of Bajaj’s remarks and home minister Amit Shah’s response, said, “Questions/criticisms are heard and answered/ addressed. Always a better way to seek an answer than spreading one’s own impressions which, on gaining traction, can hurt national interest.”
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi tweeted, “...After ages someone from the corporate world, all of whom preach a lot to the opposition, has the courage to speak some truth to power.”
A Congress leader said Bajaj got elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006 from Maharashtra with the help of the BJP and had always been critical of the United Progressive Alliance government. He had secured 195 out of the 288 votes with the support of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP.
Gopal Krishna Agarwal, national spokesperson of the BJP on economic affairs, said, “Bajaj’s linking economic challenges with Pragya Thakur’s deplorable remarks and lynchings is in bad taste and seems to be playing into the hands of Congress propaganda...”.