As fuel prices soar, Congress advises BJP to shut shop and make way

The Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising prices of petrol and diesel, and said it was time for people to tell the BJP to "shut shop" to make way for "efficient" political parties.

Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan countered the prime minister over his claims about the Mudra scheme and alleged that 91 per cent beneficiaries had received a paltry Rs 23,000.

Recalling the position taken by Modi as Gujarat chief minister over prices of diesel and petrol, Vadakkan claimed he used to criticise the government over its "inefficiency" on high fuel prices.

He asked what the prime minister was doing to bring down prices when international crude oil prices was on the slide for the last five days.

The Modi government is "out of time" as EVM machines were out of order during the bypolls, the spokesperson said.

"The point is, if winning election is the only technology that they understand, I think it is time for India and for the people to tell the party to close shop and wind up business so that efficient political parties can take over," he said.

On the Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karanataka, Vadakkan said, "You will see a stable government in the state."

"Our alliance is strong and deeply rooted for the welfare of Karnataka. You will see a very strong cabinet. It is irrelevant of 'a', 'b', 'c' or 'd', who will be the finance minister or not," he said.

Hitting out at the prime minister over his claims that loans worth Rs 6 lakh crore have been given to 12 crore beneficiaries under the Mudra scheme, the Congress leader said it was mere "photo opportunity".

"The truth about the Mudra scheme is that 91 per cent beneficiaries have got merely Rs 23,000. What business can be started with such a paltry sum. Is this not tokenism and a photo opportunity," he asked.

Vadakkan condemned the killing of a Dalit in Kerala, saying the guilty should be brought to book.

"We condemn the statement of the chief minister and his position on this issue and we want to request the CM and the DGP to investigate the matter and bring the guilty to book," he said.

On the reported sexual harassment of an Air India woman official, the spokesperson urged the government and the Home Minister to immediately act because "this is giving a bad name to our country and to our tourism industry".

"If this is the plight of the crew members of Air India, it sends out a very wrong message for the country. It is not only important to get to the bottom of the matter, but action should be taken so that a message is sent across the country that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated and guilty must be punished," he said.

On a Cabinet minister saying petroleum products should be brought under the GST, Vadakkan said the Congress has been making this demand for long now.

"They are now saying GST only to be extent of serving that coterie of capitalist cronies of theirs. When it comes to petroleum products, GST is something that they are not talking about.

"It is not in their agenda because it affects the common man and that is why we are crying from the roof top and requesting them to bring these products under the GST," he said.

Vadakkan also dubbed the NDA government as one that indulged in "election management, and headline management.