‘Collapse of foreign, economic policies’: Mann keeps up attack on PM

Sangrur: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday kept up his attack on the Narendra Modi-led Union govt, alleging that the Centre was using the West Asia conflict to hide what he described as "the collapse of its foreign and economic policies". Reiterating his claim that the govt was pushing the country towards an "undeclared lockdown-like situation", Mann the PM's appeals for austerity and restraint. He said no other country affected by the global crisis had asked its citizens to stop buying petrol, diesel, gas or gold, and said the Modi govt owed the nation answers on the actual status of India's reserves instead of spreading panic and inconvenience.Mann said the Prime Minister's foreign visits yielded little for ordinary Indians, while benefiting a handful of favoured industrialists who accompanied him abroad for business deals.Interacting with media on the sidelines of launching a project to put high-tension wires underground, Mann said the Modi govt failed on both foreign and economic fronts and said the country was in disarray. "Modi govt has completely failed on foreign and economic policy due to which the country is in disarray. The central govt failed to anticipate the gravity of the situation arising out of the war, leading to complete chaos," he said. "The war has taken place between Israel and Iran, but only India is suffering whereas the situation is not so grim in any other neighboring country."Mann accused the central govt of seeking consent from the US for even the minutest of decisions. "Instead of putting the country virtually in a state of lockdown, the Prime Minister should honestly convey to the country the situation of Oil, LPG and Gold reserves," he added.He said the country could not be run in a manner where the Prime Minister urged people to observe austerity measures while himself indulging in opulence. "He continues his foreign sojourns while appealing to the countrymen to refrain from it. In the last 14 years, the PM has never briefed the media, country or Parliament about the outcome of his several foreign trips," he added. "It was the duty of the Prime Minister to tell people about the achievements of these tours." Mann warned people would face more hardship in the coming days as fuel prices were expected to continue escalating. "There will be no end to the agonies of the people as the Union govt is suffering from an anti-people mindset. The Union govt has just woken up from deep slumber as they were busy in election mode," he added.Replying to another query, Mann criticised Punjab BJP leadership for what he called baseless and irrational statements to mislead the people of Punjab. "Punjab BJP leaders are completely unaware of the ground realities as they are just a mouthpiece of their own party and chant whatever their high command wants them to say."He said he raised the issue of DAP with the Union agriculture minister a few days ago and was assured Punjab's requirements would be met.