Deputy CM defends PM’s economic advisory

Patna: Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seven-point advisory aimed at protecting the country’s foreign exchange reserves amid the global economic crisis and accused opposition parties of displaying “mental bankruptcy” by criticising it.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural ‘Jan Sunwai’ programme at the JD(U) headquarters, Vijay said the ongoing conflict in West Asia had triggered a global economic and fuel crisis, affecting India as well.





“Due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, the world is trapped in a global economic and fuel crisis. Even India has been affected. It has become imperative to prevent depletion of foreign exchange reserves since the strength of an economy is determined by its size and stability,” Vijay told reporters.

As part of the advisory, Modi had appealed to people to avoid buying gold for a year and reduce consumption of chemical fertilisers, edible oil, petrol and diesel, besides limiting foreign travel.

“In such a situation, countries are combating the crisis in their own ways, and PM Modi has suggested certain steps to keep the economy strong. But the Opposition criticising the advisory only indicates their mental bankruptcy,” Vijay said.

He also recalled how former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri had appealed to people to donate gold during the 1962 and 1965 wars.

Later, JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha released the weekly schedule for the party’s ‘Jan Sunwai’ programme, under which ministers will hear grievances and concerns of party workers and the public from Monday to Friday.