Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari today said that the BJP led National Democratic Alliance government at the centre was insensitive towards the plight of common man as well as the farmers. He also lashed out at the centre for the meagre hike of Rs 50 per quintal in the MSP of paddy.Addressing a series of public meetings to mark the Sant Kabir Jayanti at Jawahar Nagar and inauguration of a tube-well at Basant Nagar in Shimlapuri are here today, Tewari pointed out, the harsh and anti-people measures initiated by the NDA government. He said, it was quite unprecedented to raise the railway fare by 15 per cent which was directly going to hit the common man. Similarly, he added, the government had announced to increase the prices of the gas, diesel and petroleum products.
The senior Congress leader said, the government was trying to cheat people in the name of reforming the economy. He said, even the budget was going to be harsh and tough against the common man. “It is not that the Congress government could not take such harsh measures but it cared about public good”, he said, while adding, “imposing harsh measures on public does not mean good governance”.
Tewari also criticised the government for the meagre hike in the MSP of paddy. He said, the UPA government during ten years had increased the MSP of paddy and wheat by over Rs 700 each, while the NDA during six years had increased it by about Rs 70 only. “And not surprising they are continuing the same trend of giving just a meagre hike even now”, he observed.He cautioned the government against taking the public welfare for granted. “Don’t take public support for granted”, he remarked, while adding, “better deliver what you have promised”.Among others present on the occasion included Pawan Dewan, Ashok Prashar Pappi, Gurmail Pehalwan, Leena Taparia, Kulwant Sidhu, Baljinder Singh Bunty, Satwinder Singh Jawaddi, Rakesh Sharma, Sanjay Sharma, Vinod Bathla, Jarnail Shimlapuri, Anil Malhotra.