As the National Democratic Alliance government completes 100 days in office, the BJP said on Tuesday that “policy paralysis” had come to an end under the new regime. But the Opposition Congress hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “dream merchant who came to power by selling false hopes.”
Mr. Modi had given his cabinet colleagues the freedom to take decisions, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said. Responding to questions at a press conference here on Tuesday, he said “policy paralysis” had come to an end and decisions were being taken. The Prime Minister had only one mantra for his Cabinet colleagues — that everyone should have the courage to take decisions. “Listen to all, but take decisions that are best for the country, the PM tells us.”
What was the BJP doing about its election promise to reduce prices of essentials, he was asked. The Minister quickly corrected the questioner. The party had promised to rein in prices and the government had taken several steps in that direction. They included offloading 100 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market, reducing petrol prices thrice, launching the Prime Minister’s Grameen Sinchai Yojna and enhancing storage capacity for rice and wheat.
‘Tomatoes costlier than petrol’
The Congress, on the other hand, described Mr. Modi’s first 100 days in office as “high on rhetoric and low on performance.” Party spokesman Anand Sharma said the government’s functioning had so far been characterised by “non-fulfilment of promises, undermining of institutions and promotion of a work culture nurtured by distrust and fear.”
“It is a case of minimum governance, maximum PM,” he said.