Narendra Modi Row: Chidambaram accused of doing terrorism of facts

New Delhi, Sept 23: Hours after P

's controversial statement on

,

leaders hurled an open attack the Union Finance Minister for criticising the BJP PM candidate for upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at a press conference held in Delhi on Monday, Sept 23, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha asked, "Can Chidambaram explain why the growth rate today is 4.8 per cent? When growth rate in this period goes down they have all kinds of explanation on why it has gone down. And then they quote figures from our time to say that they have a better average."

Accusing the FM of doing terrorism with facts, Sinha said, "Chidambaram is doing terrorism with facts... He is only comparing on averages. This is only jugglery of figures."

Sinha also alleged that this "statistical jugglery" was being done by Chidambaram as the UPA government cannot compete on year-to-year basis with the NDA regime and hence was taking out averages.

He is only comparing on averages. This is only jugglery of figures

"They are comparing nine years average with five years average of NDA," Mr. Sinha said, adding that when the NDA came to power the growth rate was 4.8 per cent and when the BJP-led coalition relinquished office it was 8.6 per cent," said Sinha.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also asserted, "I don't think phrases like 'fake encounters with facts' suit the FM. He is being economical with truth. Manufacturing sector is down, rupee is depreciating and infrastructure growth is troubled. Why?"

Pointing at the UPA government's failure of not getting investors for business in the country, Prasad said, "Today Indians are not investing in India, how would foreigners invest in India. Credibility crisis, corruption are the reasons why foreigners are not investing in India."

Chidambaram has been facing criticism from BJP after his statement on Modi where he reportedly claimed that the Gujarat Chief Minister had staged a "fake encounter with facts" regarding his claims of 8.4% growth during the NDA regime.

The union finance minister reportedly had said, "I wonder why Shri Narendra Modi should stage a fake encounter with facts. Ultimately, facts will prevail. If there was a golden period of growth, it was the five year period under UPA 1."

OneIndia News