Minister suspects role of MNCs in "defaming" Time's article

Kochi, Jul 10: With the

article on India's PM

raising quite a few eyebrows and causing major embarrassment to the ruling UPA government, Union Overseas Affairs Minister wants to downplay the matter by evolving a conspiracy theory. Minister

has stated that the

's cover story was a clever ploy devised by multinational companies in order to destabilise India's economy and political situation.

Lending more power to his argument, Ravi added that the same magazine had earlier published a cover story praising BJP leader and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. He has been quoted as saying, "The magazine says that the Parliament failed to pass several crucial bills. They are referring to the bill on foreign direct investment in the retail market. Ours is a democratic government and it is concerned about the threat it posed to the retail players here."

Mentioning the good work done by the UPA at the Centre, the Minister stated that the country recorded a strong growth in the agriculture sector together with food production and food storage. He added that it was only in the industrial sector that the performance has not been up to the mark and that the government was doing the needful towards it.

Ravi commented, "We are a democratic country. One cannot compare it to the Chinese government. The MNCs cannot come here and dictate to us on policy matters. So, it looks like the article against PM is a desperate attempt by disappointed elements to spread their roots to the Indian retail markets."

On the political conspiracy behind the publishing of the article, Ravi opined, "I respect the freedom of the press. They have every right to publish such an article. But the language used in it is defamatory."

OneIndia News