CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury criticised BJP national president Amit Shah for his comment on dip in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and said that Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi lack courage to admit the shortcomings of demonetisations.
Shah had commented that the drop in GDP growth to 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of this financial year is “temporary” and not linked to demonetisation. ‘Notebandi’ cannot be the reason for GDP coming down to 5.7 per cent from 7.1 per cent, he said.
Reacting to Shah’s statement, Yechury on Wednesday said that it is not a short term economic slowdown and the demonetisation has had a negative impact on economic growth.
Yechury said that there is a massive slow growth rate for setting up industries and infrastructure, commerce and even in agriculture sector following the negative impact of demonetisation.
He said that all the important Union government departments are now raising alarm following the post demonetisation impact that has hampered the country’s economic growth.
“Even the Prime Minister has cancelled his important meetings with the important government departments as he realised that the meetings could not create any good result. Instead he asked the Union Finance department to hold discussion to prepare a future plan for earning revenues and instructed important departments to prepare a report on how the recent economic growth became so slow,” he said.
Yechury also charged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for allegedly adopting a communal approach towards the Rohingyas escaping atrocities and persecution in Myanmar.