NEW DELHI: AAP Senior Leader and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia lashed out at the BJP over gross financial mismanagement of the nation. He attacked the Prime Minister saying that PM Modi is busy catering to the needs of his super-rich friends, but has no time to pay heed to the taxpayer’s woes.
Sisodia said, “Prime Minister’s Dostwaad has completely ruined the country’s economy; he is using taxpayer’s money to fill the coffers of his friends. It is for the first time in the last 75 years that a Central Government has stooped so low that it is collecting taxes on milk-curd & atta-chawal. The Modi Government must stop running away from the debate and explain why the economy is crippling today, why do they not have money to build schools-hospitals but can easily forgive taxes worth 5 lac crore & loans worth 10 lac crore?
People pay taxes for good education, healthcare, electricity and water. The BJP should answer why instead of providing facilities to the public, they are wasting public money on the super-rich. First time in the country that the central government is saying that we cannot build government schools, hospitals, give pensions to elder or relief schemes for the poor, he said.
Aam Aadmi Party Senior Leader and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said, “We are living in an unprecedented era that for the first time in 75 years of independence of the country, the Central Government has imposed tax on basic edible commodities like Milk, Dahi and Rice. A poor family has to pay tax in order to feed their children with milk. The Central Government has also said that it has run out of funds to build government schools and hospitals. They are neither able to give pensions to the elderly nor run welfare schemes for the poor.”
He asserted, “Why has such a situation arise? It is because that hard-earned taxpayers’ money was spent to fill the pockets of friends of the Prime Minister. Taxpayers’ gave this money so that the government can build schools for their children, hospitals, roads and supply electricity and water. However, the taxpayers’ money was spent on the Prime Minister’s friends instead of them. Even since the BJP came to power at the Centre, they have written-off loan worth Rs 10 lakh crores owed by friends of the Prime Minister and tax worth Rs 5 lakh crores was also waived off.
“In this manner, Rs 15 lakh crores of taxpayers’ money went into the pockets of their friends. And now they are forcing the common man to pay taxes on milk & dahi. They are also saying that no facility will be provided for free and the people will have to pay for everything. Children will not get to study in government schools and if they want to study there, they have to pay fees for that. People will not be treated in government schools for free. They have to pay money for treatment and medicines or else they can go to private hospitals,” he added.
He added, “When they were asked the reason for taking such a decision which is unprecedented in the past 75 years, they start diverting from the issue. Today, I was watching the press conference of BJP’s Sambit Patra. He was beating around the bush and made a few remarks on me and the Delhi Government. We are fine with that but he should answer why his government brought the exchequer of the country in such a shambolic condition that you don’t have the funds to run schools and hospitals just to fill the pockets of your friends? The economy of the country is in ruins and as a result, they had to impose tax on basic edible commodities.”
Sisodia concluded, “It is a result of the Prime Minister’s Dostwaad. They are sucking the blood of the poors to keep their friends rich and when questions are asked on their Dostwaad, you beated around the bush and try to divert from the issue.
“I again appeal to the Prime Minister to answer why is he favouring his friends by writing off their debts worth Rs 10 lakh crores and waiving off their tax worth Rs 5 lakh crores at the cost of imposing tax on basic edible commodities which is consumed by the common man? Why has the economy of the country reached such a shambolic condition that you have to say if facilities are given to the common man free of cost, the country will be left in ruins,” he said.