Tit for tat: Barack Obama underachiever, dubs Outlook India

Bangalore, Jul 19: It seems that Outlook India is all set to take a revenge on Time Magazine on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the magazine dubbed US President Barack Obama "underachiever".

On the cover page of the upcoming issue of the magazine, which is expected to be released on Jul 30, shows US president's image with the caption - "THE UNDERACHIEVER".

"America needed a reboot-he promised hope and change. Four years on, President Barack Obama's sheen is gone. Can his lofty rhetoric carry him home again?" reads the magazine on the cover page.

Recently, US based Time Magazine called Indian Prime Minister an "underachiever" and a "man in shadow". Criticising Dr Singh and the government led by him, the magazine claimed, "India needs a reboot." The magazine issue dated Jul 7, also asked, "Is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh up to the job?"

UPA government was also being slapped. The magazine hurled strong criticism against it saying, "The laws that could help create growth and jobs are stuck in parliament, sparking concerns that politicians have lost the plot in their focus on short-term populist measures that will win votes."

Calling Dr Singh 'a man in shadow', Time Magazine, however, gives some advice to the Indian Prime Minister. "India is stalling. To turn it around, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must emerge from his private and political gloom," said the magazine.

Now, with the latest move of Outlook India, it seems that Time's criticism acted as a boomerang for US and especially for Obama.

Recently, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma also criticised Obama saying, "he (Obama) has every right to convey what his perceptions are but the policy making is a sovereign decision and India's FDI policy regime is investor-friendly."

Obama in an interview to PTI noted that India prohibits foreign investment in too many sectors such as retail and endorsed another wave of economic reforms.

"It is still too hard to invest in India. In too many sectors, such as retail, India limits or prohibits the foreign investment...which is necessary for India to continue to grow," Obama has said.

OneIndia News