Modi government should be more broad-based, says Arun Shourie

Senior BJP leader and former union minister Arun Shourie came down heavily on Narendra Modi's government and its policies in a recent interaction with journalists.

 
Commenting on PM Modi's way of governance, he said a handful of people could not run the government.
 
"It is not a municipality, it is the federal government of India. It cannot be run by small numbers," he said, reproducing a quote from another unnamed leader on the topic.

Speaking at a recent Idea Exchange programme organised by the Indian Express, Shourie touched upon various topics from Centre's rush to replace German with Sanskrit, to Modi's much publicised foreign trips.

He said the government was talking about a lot of major reforms and schemes but it was yet to act decisively on them.
 
When asked if he saw PM Modi as an agent of change, Shourie replied saying he may be one, but he had the task of reshaping an entire ocean.
 
"It’s not just about simplifying reforms. The depth and pervasiveness of reforms has to be great," he said.

He also suggested that PM Modi should refrain from making highly visible foreign policy moves that may provoke the neighbours.
 
"We are going all over the world (talking) about our acquisitions and orders. I fear we are doing things with a visibility, which will provoke China," he added.

On the move to disband Planning Commission, he said PM Modi developed resentment about the body during his 10 years of Chief Ministership in Gujarat.