Click to play videoNew Delhi: The first day of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2008 on Friday saw the top political leaders of the country outlining their vision of India with Leader of Opposition LK Advani blaming the present Central Government for the economic crisis plaguing the country.
Advani rubbished Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's views that despite the global economic crisis, India's growth rate would not be affected and that the country would be able to grow by eight per cent.
"I am most concerned and disappointed at the way the UPA Government has dealt with the situation. The government is still in denial mode when it comes to accepting the reality of the crisis," said Advani, who is also Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate for the next Lok Sabha elections.
He blamed the government for not taking adequate steps to deal with the economic crisis and for the high rate of inflation.
"The government's flawed policies led to high inflation. Thereafter by mishandling inflation control with knee jerk monetary measures, it created credit squeeze and throttled all sectors of the economy," Advani claimed.
He also outlined his priorities saying agriculture, security and inflation remain on top of the agenda.
"I have always said that if I were to identify three measures or three areas which would be of greatest concern, it is agriculture, security of the common man and certainly inflation."
Claiming that when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government was in power India was a confident nation but now the situation was just the opposite, Advani said, "In 2004 Indians generally exuded confidence and hope about the future. Today there is only doubt, uncertainty, pessimism, despair and ever fear."
He also hoped that soon India along with China would become the new superpowers of the world.
"India along with China and other non-European nations are on the cusp of achieving a dignified position in the international political economy. When compared to the excesses of the western world, Asian frugality stands in sharp contrast," the BJP leader said.
He also blamed the Manmohan Singh Government of not taking the opposition into confidence on important issues.
"At a time when the government is facing a multi-dimensional economic crisis, the government has not deemed it necessary to have any consultation with the opposition."
Advani also slammed the Congress of devaluing the post of the prime minister saying, "7 Race Course Road (residence of the Prime Minister) is always the most important address in New Delhi. 10 Janpath (residence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi) cannot be that. In a parliamentary democracy he (prime minister) is the last word. During the last few years, the office of the Prime Minister has been devalued."
Advani also spoke on the Malegaon blast accused and said that calling the blast a handiwork of Hindu terror groups was wrong.
"I had avoided commenting on all that was going on for the last one month, except once three-four days back when I said it is wrong to use the word Hindu terror, just as anyone using the word Muslim terror or Sikh terror would be identifying terrorism with a particular religion or a community. It should not be done," he said.
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