BJP asks UPA to stop blaming allies for economic slowdown

New Delhi, Aug 7 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday criticized the ruling UPA Government for the slowdown in the Indian economy, and asked it stop blaming the allies or coalition partners.

BJP leader Balbir Punj said the Indian economy has derailed because of three reasons, including the rampant corruption in the Central Government.

"If Indian economy has been derailed and you don't see much growth in any of the sectors, may be its agriculture, industry or the service sector, you cannot blame them for the lack of reforms," said Punj.

"The Indian economy has been derailed on account of three reasons: the rampant corruption in the Central Government, the incapacity of the government and the ministers to take decisions on time or the habit of postponing the decisions, and the lack of political will to do anything tangible," he added.

Punj asked the government to stop playing the blame game all the time.

"And you can't blame the allies and the coalition partners for your own failure. This is like what they say in Hindi 'naach na jaane aangan tedha' (said of a person does not known dancing, but blames the stage)," he said.

In a bid to boost investment and lift the sagging economy, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had earlier on Monday promised fine-tuning of policies, corrective measures to put in place a stable and non-adversarial tax regime and a possible cut in interest rates.

He has also directed a review of tax provisions that have a retrospective effect in order to find a fair and reasonable solutions to pending as well as likely disputes between the tax department and assessees concerned.

Unveiling a broad roadmap to regain the confidence of investors, Chidambaram made a detailed statement in which he said that government would work with the Reserve Bank of India to moderate inflation in the medium term. (ANI)