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Cong attacks Modi govt over defence budget cuts

Last Updated 14 January 2015, 20:00 IST

Launching an all-out attack on the Modi government, Congress on Wednesday accused it of compromising India’s security by slashing defence budget to meet the revenue gaps.

The Congress claimed that the Centre had slashed the defence budget to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore to “mechanically make up” for rising fiscal deficit.

“These are in addition to the 45 per cent reduction in funds released for MGNREGA, 20 per cent cut in the health expenditure, and 25 per cent cut in spending on Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and sanitation,” AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.

“Controlling fiscal deficit does not mean you take away the bread of the poor and hurt national security. Paradoxically, it is coming at a time when prices of international crude oil have almost halved,” he said.

Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh travelled to Bhatta Parsaul, in adjoining Uttar Pradesh, to re-launch the Congress agitation against land acquisition. The twin villages in Greater Noida were the epicentre of protests spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi in 2011, a year ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

The Congress also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not acting against provocative speeches made by VHP and “undesirable” RSS leaders.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had said that Modi choosing to ignore “disturbing statements and speeches” of BJP leaders raised questions on his real agenda.

“… the true colours and intentions of the Prime Minister and the BJP have become abundantly clear,” she had said on Tuesday.

The stepped up attack on the government comes a day after Congress Working Committee resolved to hold nationwide agitations against “wrong policies” of the Centre.

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(Published 14 January 2015, 20:00 IST)

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