Modi govt playing mischief with statistics: Yashwant Sinha

Kolkata, January 19

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday came down heavily on the Narendra Modi government saying this was the first government after Independence which had been playing “mischief” with the developmental statistics.

Addressing the opposition rally here, Sinha who quit the BJP recently said that under the present regime while praising the government was “desh bhakti” (patriotism), criticising it is “desh droh” (sedition).

“After Independence this is the first government which has been presenting decorated and inflated developmental statistics to befool people,” the former Union finance minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government said apparently referring to the Niti Aayog downgrading GDP growth rate during UPA time.

Sinha, who was in a committee to find solution to the Kashmir problem, said when he had suggested talking to the cross-section of people in the environment of love, he was branded a “Pakistani agent”.

From the dais itself, he asked NC leader Farooq Abdullah if he had told a lie on this count, to which the NC leader said no.

The former Union Minister made fun of the Modi government’s slogan of ‘Sabka saath sabka vikas’ saying the apt slogan would be ‘Sabka saath sabka vinash’.

He said now he was left with no personal desire but to see that this “anti-people” government is ousted from power. PTI