'Development imbalance, inflation, agrarian distress highlights of 9 years of Modi rule,' says Prithviraj Chavan

Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Friday said there was an imbalance in development in the country in the last nine years under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a press conference to mark nine years of the NDA government at the Centre, Chavan said the health and education sectors have been neglected due to economic mismanagement.

"Inflation, unemployment, agrarian distress have dominated the nine years of Modi rule. The Centre's debt has increased from Rs 65 lakh crore in 2014 to Rs 135 lakh crore now. "Despite this, the common man is being taxed heavily on diesel, petrol and LPG. The government collected Rs 29 lakh cr through these taxes but is still short of money and is selling public sector units," he claimed.

Constitutional institutions were being weakened and the Centre was yet to clarify on allegations of US-based Hindenburg Research on firms of billionaire Gautam Adani, he alleged. The promise to double farm income by 2022 remains unfulfilled and the PM is also mum on alleged intrusions into Indian territory by China, Chavan said.

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"Social harmony has been hit, hatred is being spread across the country. Atrocities against women and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been rising. The Centre is quiet on the demand for a caste census. The Karnataka election results have shown the Modi magic has waned," Chavan asserted.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress is strong and that is why the Eknath Shinde government doesn't have the courage to conduct civic polls in Maharashtra, Chavan said. He said the current dispensation was trying to trouble the opposition but such efforts, as well as moves like 'Operation Lotus' to break parties, will not succeed.

"The Shinde-Fadnavis government will not be able to face the MVA in the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls (scheduled in 2024)," the former Union minister claimed. A Lok Sabha constituency wise review meeting will be held by the Congress on June 2-3, Chavan said, adding there was still time to work out a seat-sharing formula with allies. "Each party's strength and performance in the 2014 and 2019 LS polls and civic elections will be analysed. It is a long process. The aim is to ensure MVA wins more seats than the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena," Chavan said.

Congress has been in alliances since the split in 1999, when Sharad Pawar formed the NCP, Chavan said. "From two party allies we are now a three party alliance (MVA). We will work out (seat sharing)," the former Maharashtra CM said.

He defended the boycott of Sunday's event to inaugurate the new Parliament building and claimed the NDA government had broken protocol by getting it inaugurated by the prime minister rather than President Droupadi Murmu. The objective of demonetisation was not fulfilled and the Rs 2000 note, which is being withdrawn, was not used by the common man, the Congress leader claimed. The country's economy is not a cashless one and the Rs 1,000 note, which was demonetised in November 2016, must be introduced again, he added.