There has been record price rise and unemployment in the 10-year regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP is silent about not fulfilling its poll promises, senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said here on Thursday.
He was addressing an election meeting at Mangollai in Mylapore, campaigning for DMK South Chennai Lok Sabha candidate Thamizhachi Thangapandian.
The price rise has hit the middleclass and the poor, while unemployment has affected the youth, Mr. Chidambaram said. Citing the India Employment Report 2024 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), he pointed out that India’s youth account for almost 83% of the unemployed workforce. He charged Mr. Modi with not fulfilling the BJP’s poll promises of creating two crore jobs every year and doubling farmers income, among others. “There has been no answer from the BJP when asked about the poll promises,” he said.
According to Mr. Chidambaram, there were no flagship schemes that could be remembered during the 10-year Modi regime, and there was no scheme for Tamil Nadu, when compared to the 10 years of the United Progressive Alliance regime at the Centre, which had brought in many schemes.
There has been no flagship scheme during the 10-year AIADMK rule in Tamil Nadu, while in the three years of the DMK regime, there has been a slew of schemes, including the free bus ride for women, ₹1,000 per month to eligible women, the Pudhumai Penn Scheme, he said.
Mr. Chidambaram also hailed the Chief Minister’s Breakfast scheme and said it would be implemented at the national level in the future. He also pointed out that even after the worst floods in Chennai and Thoothukudi, the Modi government had not released any funds to Tamil Nadu, despite Chief Minister M.K. Stalin writing many letters seeking relief. “People should make comparisons about the various welfare schemes that were implemented during the UPA regime and in the Modi regime, and also during the AIADMK and the DMK regimes,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
Mr. Chidambaram felt that if the BJP was voted to power again, the 2024 election could probably be the last general election in the country. The “one nation, one poll” concept will lead to one party and one leader, which would be Mr. Modi, he said, adding that while parties were not required to pay any income tax, the Income Tax Department had frozen the accounts of the Congress. “Elected Chief Ministers are being arrested. Does the Centre have such authority? I have not seen this happening even in film scripts or thriller novels,” Mr. Chidambaram said. He feared India is heading towards a situation like China, Russia and many other nations where there are persons who remain as Presidents for lifetime. “It is important to save democracy and the nation from the clutches of the autocratic leadership,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
