JOIN USOffering an “unkind’ rating to the BJP-led government at the Centre, former Union minister Arun Shourie held the trio of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley “responsible for mistakes” committed by the establishment.
The BJP hit back at the former Union minister who played a crucial role in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, accusing him of nursing “grouse” for not getting any position of authority and being a “bit unkind to Modi”.
Though BJP ideologue Shourie was of the view that Modi was “good in parts” — a praise he showered on Modi’s showing on foreign policy, he felt the government was more concerned in “managing headlines than putting policies in place”.
“The government seems to be more concerned with managing headlines than putting policies in place. The situation is like the many pieces of a jigsaw puzzle lying in a mess with no big picture in mind about how to put them together,” he said in an interview to a news channel when asked to review Modi’s government completing one year in office on May 26.
In an all round attack on the government and the party, he said the troika was running the saffron organisation which “has offended the opposition as well as frightened the members of the BJP”.
“They are the ones responsible for mistakes and they are also the Supreme Court. The three leaders are not getting proper feedback and no corrective action takes place,” the former editor-turned-politician said.
With government finding hard to push bills through opposition dominated Rajya Sabha, Shourie also expressed his strong reservation on frequent promulgation of ordinances to keep legislations alive by bypassing Parliament. Calling them “ill advised”, the former disinvestment minister emphasised the need to have a “more embracing attitude” since there can be “no reforms without opposition support”.
On Modi’s effort to bring economy on track, he said, “the government is talking big on economic matters but nothing is happening on ground”.
In a veiled jibe at Jaitley, he said “lawyerly arguments” would not convince investors as the government lacked a stable approach.
He also questioned Modi’s silence on Hindutva agenda such as ‘ghar wapsi’ propagated by BJP affiliates since it has led to “anxiety” among the
minorities.