Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra is known for her fiery words. On Tuesday, Moitra questioned Centre’s handling of the economy and asked who is the ‘Pappu’ now. In a debate in Lok Sabha on demands for additional grants for 2022-23, Moitra accused the Narendra Modi government of telling “lies” about India’s growth.
Referring to the latest data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Moitra claimed that the country’s industrial output shrunk by four percent in October to a 26-month low. “Seventeen of the industry sectors that make up the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) have recorded negative growth. Forex reserves have fallen by 72 billion dollars in under a year,” she said. The manufacturing sector’s output, which is the biggest generator of Jobs declined by 5.6 percent in October 2022 as against a growth of 3.3 percent recorded in the year-ago month.
“This government and the ruling party coined the term Pappu. You use it to denigrate and signify extreme incompetence. But the statistics tell us who the actual Pappu is,” Moitra said.
She also took a jibe at the BJP over its defeat in the recently concluded Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, saying the ruling party’s president JP Nadda could not secure his home state. “Who is the Pappu now?” she asked.
Moitra also pointed out the exodus of Indian citizens. “This exodus of 2022 takes the total number of Indians renouncing Indian citizenship under this government in the past nine years since 2014 to over 12.5 lakh people,” she said. “Is this sign of a healthy economic environment or a healthy tax environment (in the country)?” she asked, adding, “Who is the Pappu now?”
“The ruling party buys lawmakers for hundreds of crores of rupees and yet members of the opposition represent 95 percent of the lawmakers under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate,” Moitra alleged.
She accused the government of spreading lies over India’s growth story under Prime Minister Modi and that the 2016 effort to demonetise high-value notes had fallen short of expectations because cash is "still king" and the eventual abolition of counterfeit money remains a pipe dream.
“This government has us believe every February that this country’s economy is going great guns, we are the fastest growing most efficient global player, everyone is getting employment, cylinders, electricity and pucca houses. This falsehood flies for eight to 10 months and the truth comes out limping after it,” The TMC leader said.
“We are now in December and the government says it needs another 3.26 lakh crores as additional funds over and above the budget estimates,” she said.
with inputs from PTI
