Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh today hit out at the Election Commission during a Google Hangout session with Network18's Shirin Bhan saying the EC cannot run a parallel government.
When asked about the Election Commission's order asking the oil ministry to defer increase in gas prices, Ramesh said, "I don't agree with the Election Commission's approach. They cannot be running a parallel government. This decision to increase the gas prices was taken eight months ago."
Jairam Ramesh. AFP
"The EC cannot sit in judgement on executive decisions. Otherwise the government will come to a screeching halt," he said.
When asked why in the last couple of months the government has been hasty with projects, Ramesh said, "When we take time and deliberate on decisions it is policy paralysis, but when we actually take decisions it is being hasty," he said. Earlier during the discussion he had reiterated the same points saying, "India is a peculiar country, you are damned if you clear projects, you are damned if you don't."
Ramesh defended the manifesto and UPA's performance saying, "In UPA I we delivered 8 percent GDP growth, in UPA II it was 7.3 percent. These rates of growth are unmatched in our history. Yet you say there is a crisis of confidence."
"Many of the social welfare objectives were present in 2009, but what we are promising in 2014 is a step up. In 2009 we did not promise right to health as we are promising in 2014," he said.
When asked if the Congress was trying to appease minorities he said, "The Congress is not appeasing the minorities but only protecting them. In our country secularism means respect for all religions. Secularism is fulfilling constitutional obligations. In our country secularism does not mean irreligion, but respecting all religions."
Ramesh also dismissed opinion polls saying, "We proved the prophets of doom wrong in 2009, and we will prove them wrong this year as well. Gujarat shining will meet the same fate as India shining."
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