Should Modi remain at one place? Venkaiah to Cong on PM trips

 Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today hit out at Congress for dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "tourist Prime Minister", saying whether they want him to remain at one place like a "frog in a well".

"Congress leaders say Modi is tourist (prime) minister. Does it mean that he should remain at one place? (Is he) supposed to be like a frog in a well? Frog in a well only makes noise sitting inside," he said.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had yesterday dubbed Modi as "a tourist Prime Minister" and attacked him saying he had time to make speeches in foreign countries, but not to attend Parliament.

Alleging that the country was beset with many problems like poor economic growth, weak rupee and fiscal deficit when UPA handed over the reins of government to NDA last year, Naidu said it needs to be made competitive in the comity of nations.

"This country should be placed before nations of the world. Because, this country was lagging behind when we got power. The world was moving ahead and the country was moving backward. Economic growth stunted. Rupee weakened. They handed over fiscal deficit, trade deficit, current account deficit and above all trust deficit to us and left," he said.

The Minister said Modi government was rectifying the situation, and things were looking up now with growth rate rising from 4.6 per cent to 7.3 per cent in one year since the NDA came to power.

Modi is getting appreciation worldwide as evident in US President Barack Obama writing a signed article in an international publication, Russian President Vladimir Putin describing the Prime Minister as "hero of the people" and the Crown Prince of UAE personally welcoming him at airport setting aside protocol, Naidu said.

Noting that the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports predicted India can even surpass China in growth, he alleged that Opposition parties were trying to create hurdles for Modi and for that reason were not letting Parliament to function.

Referring to Land Bill, he said, "Congress leader (Rahul Gandhi) said we will not let even an inch of land to be taken. I urge Congress leaders to think how many lakhs of acres were given away to industries in the name of SEZs? Has the inch not completed even after giving away lakhs of acres? Is development possible without land? Can you set up NIT (National Institute of Technology) without land?" he said.

The Union Minister was speaking at Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh where foundation stone was laid for the NIT in the presence of Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Land is necessary to set up airports, railway tracks, bus stations, houses for poor, among others, Naidu said.

The Opposition's talk about poor was mere lip service as they gave out "support for rich and words for poor" in the last 50 years, he charged.

Alleging that opposition parties indulged in "politics of poverty" in the last several decades, he said, the NDA government was doing "politics of development."

Modi has launched unprecedented and massive social security schemes like Jan Suraksha Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and MUDRA Bank for the benefit of poor, he said.

Naidu, who has been under attack from Opposition parties in AP for the NDA government allegedly not delivering on the promises made to the state, hit out at them, saying that all those issues mentioned in Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act for state benefit would be implemented "100 per cent".

"Narendra Modiji will extend full cooperation," he said.
The special status demands from various states are under discussion and a final decision would be taken after this process, he said, adding that justice would be done to AP.

Special status was promised to AP by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament during bifurcation last year.

The process of establishing a number of Central institutions in AP has already begun as per the Re-organisation Act and other benefits would be implemented, he said. These include setting up an AIIMS-like institute and a separate railway zone in AP.

Lashing out at the Opposition parties for their attack on him, Naidu said, he never played opportunistic and irresponsible politics like them and that they have no moral right to question his sincerity.