PM Narendra Modi practicing voodoo economics: Congress

Congress on Friday slammed the Centre’s announcements to perk up the farm sector as “insensitive” to farmers as it failed to put a single penny in their pockets at a time when they were battling the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This is a big ‘jumla’ and Rs 20 lakh crore is only 13 zeros for the citizens of the country,” Randeep Surjewala, in-charge of the AICC Communication Department told reporters here.

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Former Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to shed light on the actual cash outflow in addition to the Rs 30.42 lakh expenditure mentioned in the Union Budget.

“Everything else is dramabaazi,” said Ramesh.

Surjewala accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of practising “voodoo economics”. “The prime minister and the finance minister only talk big things and indulge in headline management, but have done nothing concrete for farmers or any other section of society,” he said.

“During the coronavirus pandemic, farmers and labourers are facing the most difficulty. Instead of giving them relief the Modi government is hurting the farmers and labourers and instead of providing help, it is pushing the farmer into a debt trap,” Surjewala said.

He alleged that it is clear the Modi government neither understands the pain of the farmer nor the problems of farming. Therefore, the farmers have not been extended any help, even worth a single penny.