BJP’s double-speak stands exposed, says Tanwar

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 23

Critical of the “confused” BJP government in Haryana, state Congress president Ashok Tanwar today said the party’s “double-speak” had been exposed, as their leaders seem to be back-tracking on all their election promises.

“The BJP has gone back on its commitment to farmers and employees. It has nothing substantial to showcase as its achievement,” he told the media here today.

The BJP had promised farmers to implement the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, he said, adding that “what to talk of remunerative prices for the produce, farmers are facing shortage of urea. The Agriculture Minister (OP Dhankar) has already said the state does not have funds to implement the Swaminathan report”.

He further said promises of providing job opportunities and unemployed allowance to youths remained unfulfilled. “Government employees are left high and dry with the state revoking the previous dispensation’s decision to increase the retirement age from 58 to 60 years,” the former Sirsa MP said. The government was yet to make its stand clear on the implementation of Punjab pay scales in Haryana, he said.

Turning to old-age pension, the Congress leader said the BJP government cheated senior citizens, who were promised Rs 2,000 per month. “All they have received is an additional Rs 200 per month, while staggering the rest of the amount over five years,” Tanwar alleged. “Senior citizens are getting nothing in the name of pension since the government has decided to link it to Aadhaar cards. Many senior citizens in the state are still to be covered under the Aadhaar scheme.”

“The BJP government’s intention to review 182 decisions of the previous Congress government shows it is not working in the public interest,” the state Congress chief alleged.

He termed the controversy over missing pages in a file pertaining to Robert Vadra-DLF land deal as an “unnecessary” one. “The BJP raises the issue during the elections with the intention to target a particular family. The other day, the Chief Minister had said the file could be reconstructed easily,” he claimed

On the Jammu and Kashmir results, Tanwar said the verdict didn’t bring good news for the Congress, but people gave a clear mandate to secular parties. “The BJP bubble has been burst and it will be on the downswing. People are feeling cheated,” he said.