Kolkata/New Delhi: Taking a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for saying that the government is doing what is "good for the country" and that the reform process should continue, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the government is looting the country in the name of 'aam admi' and reforms.
"Reforms are meant to usher development for the people. Now-a-days, the trend is whenever any anti-people decision is taken, it is taken in the name of reforms. In the name of reforms and 'aam admi', loot cholchhe, loot…(loot is on)," Banerjee, who left for New Delhi during the day to attend her party's demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Monday, said in her post in Facebook.
Her comments came shortly after the Prime Minister indicated that the Centre may continue with the reforms process and expressed willingness to discuss issues with the allies. "We will do what is good for the country... reforms are not one-off process," he said in New Delhi.
Singh also refuted allegations that the reforms were dictated by the US. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had questioned the Prime Minister and his government over the proposed reforms, which include 51 per cent foreign direct investment in retail, a hike in diesel price and a cap on subsidised LPG cylinders. Modi had said, "I ask the Prime Minister what is the problem. What is the reason to bring FDI?"
Calling the Congress-led UPA government "anti-farmer", Modi had lashed out at the Prime Minister accusing him of getting active only before the presidential elections in America. Pointing out that even US President Barack Obama had been advocating its people to go to small businessmen to buy their things and avoid big retails and malls to help the economy, Modi questioned why the government of India was insistent on opening its markets to FDI in retail.
Rubbishing Modi’s allegations, Singh said, "We are not dictated by anybody.". Responding to a query on a possible rollback of a few of the reform measures, he said reforms were an ongoing process. "We will discuss them," he added.
The relations between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress got bitter after Banerjee withdrew her support from the government. Six Trinamool Congress central ministers had submitted their resignations on September 21 to the Prime Minister in protest against allowing FDI in retail, diesel price hike and the cap on subsidised cooking gas cylinders. The party had also submitted a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee formally withdrawing the Trinamool Congress's support to the UPA II Government.
(With additional information from PTI)
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