Manmohan tears into Modi on poll promises

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday tore into the Modi government for its "failure" to deliver on the promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, particularly on job creation.

"Our youth are desperately waiting for the promised two crore jobs. Employment growth rate has been declining in last four years. People are not impressed with the figures being put out by Modi government to justify the creation of a large number of jobs," Singh said at a function to launch Congress leader Kapil Sibal's book Shades of Truth: A Journey Derailed.

He also attacked demonetisation and the non-fulfilment of the promise to bring back black money stashed in tax havens.

"Nothing concrete has been done to bring back the promised billions of dollars allegedly held abroad as black money," Singh said, adding that Sibal's book was a comprehensive analysis of the functioning of the Modi government over the last four years.

Singh also said that programmes such as 'Make in India' and 'Stand Up India' were yet to make a meaningful impact on industrial production growth.

"Small and marginal enterprises are yet to derive significant benefit from the ease-of-doing-business schemes. The hasty implementation of demonetisation and GST has hurt enterprises," the former prime minister said.

The book launch function was followed by a discussion, where former finance minister P Chidambaram said there were two views within the Congress on the issue of impeachment of the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

“I was of the view that it won't pass the first hurdle and so it was futile and that was proved right,” Chidambaram said.

Sibal said he was of the view that it was necessary to send out a message that something was wrong despite the Congress being in minority.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury felt that there was a three-month delay in initiating the process of impeachment.

Senior socialist leader Sharad Yadav said the recent judgments of the Supreme Court were proof enough that the impeachment process has had its impact.

(EOM)