JOIN USUnion Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday made a veiled attack on AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi telling them that “populism, majoritarianism and individualism could never be a way of governance in a democracy”.
Chidambaram also said that lifting 140 million people out of poverty was the greatest achievement of the United Progressive Alliance government in the last 10 years.
“Democracy acknowledges diversity, respects dissent, encourages debate and decides through a government of elected representatives. Neither populism, nor majoritarianism, nor individualism is an alternative way of governance,” he said.
Chidambaram did not specifically refer to Kejriwal. But the finance minister’s remark was apparently intended to hit out at the populist measures promised and initiated by the AAP leader during his brief tenure as chief minister of Delhi – like providing 700 litres of free water to every household and slashing the pending dues of the consumers.
“Our way of governance has not come in the way of lifting 140 million people out of poverty in the last 10 years. That is the greatest achievements of the UPA governments and we are proud of the achievement,” Chidambaram said.
The interim budget was the ninth by Chidambaram, who is just one short of equaling the record held by Morarji Desai.