SHIMLA: Blowing the poll bugle for coming assembly election, Congress party on Sunday held “Sankalp Rally” at Kansa Chowk in Mandi district where Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh praised former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his economic policy while attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for scrapping Planning Commission.
While addressing the rally, Virbhadra Singh praised Atal Bihari Vajpayee by terming him as a leader of repute and a great litterateur. He said during the times of Vajpayee as Prime Minister, the Planning Commission had been functioning in an efficient manner and the economists involved therein knew about the financial needs of the states but today a totally opposite scenario has emerged.
He said that claims of NITI Aayog to build strong centre-states relations have failed, as states were left in lurch and not taken into confidence before the formation of Aayog. He said that states should have been consulted and draft of Aayog should have been prepared according to the financial needs and topography of the states.
He said that NITI Aayog had completely failed in its planning and states were not invited for any of the meetings, except few. He said that scrapping the Planning Commission overnight was not a pragmatic decision and it has halted the progress of the states to much extent.
He said Vajpayee, who is his good friend, never differentiated between states in terms of allocation of funds and is a nationalist leader, who sidelined political affiliations when it comes to the development of particular region.
He said that BJP leaders becomes more impatient when elections approaches and they start issuing irrelevant statements, try to misguide people and adopt to all sort of tactics. He said Congress believes in secularism and do not differentiate between region and religion.
“Though I faced lots of opposition from BJP for opening educational institutions, but the BJP failed to understand that education paves the way for development and disciplined society”, he remarked. He cautioned to be aware of forces creating rift amongst people on basis of region and religion. He said though people of state were wise enough to understand the tactics of those who divide people for their own selfish motive.
State Youth Congress President Vikramaditya Singh said that language being used by former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal about the Congress does not suit his stature. He said that Dhumal is well aware that it is difficult for BJP to win coming assembly election. He blamed Dhumal of conniving with few government officers to halt the progress of development works.
