This Article is From Jun 09, 2015

'Make in India' Shows Powerful Lion, But You Can't Hear Him Roar: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi:

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today ridiculed the Narendra Modi government's flagship 'Make in India' campaign, saying it "shows a powerful lion but you can't hear him roar".

"Nothing has happened," he said. "Even (the government's) employment promises are not being fulfilled."

The Congress vice president's jab came on the heels of his mother Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh's comments taking on the government during the Congress Chief Ministers' conclave.

The annual strategy session started by Mrs Gandhi was focusing on the failures of the Modi government, which completed one year in office in May.

The Congress has already dubbed "Make in India" the government's biggest failure. "Make in India has turned into Make in France," senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had said, taking a dig at the government's deal for Rafael fighter jets.

Today, Mr Gandhi said there was a "huge difference" between the Congress and the BJP. "We give our chief ministers freedom. We learn from them. We don't tell them what to do from Delhi."  

The comment was a response to the complaints of neglect from the chief ministers of the Congress-ruled northeastern states. "Special status to northeast is being given away and that is causing problems to our chief ministers," Sonia Gandhi had added.

Denying the Congress charges, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said PM Modi has given "a new height" to the principle of cooperative federalism.

"Under the 14th Finance Commission, we are giving 42% share of revenue," he said. "I reject with all impunity the charges by Sonia Gandhi regarding any alleged discrimination against any Congress-led government."

.