Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 8 (EMN): Joining its counterparts across the country, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today organised a ‘Black Day for Demonetisation’, marking the passage of one year since the decision of the BJP-led central government to demonetise the currency notes and how it has affected the common people nationwide.
Terming the recent demonetisation as ‘Modi-made India’s economy disaster’, NPCC president K Therie did not waste any courtesy and claimed it had affected every citizen of the country, more adversely distressing the poorer sections of the society such as farmers and students. He alleged that the central government has been promising development activities but the ground reality after demonetisation was that, it had not been able to pay even 35-40% of funds for centrally sponsored schemes such as RHM, SSA, MGNREGA etc. He said most of the schemes have lapsed and whatever small amount was sanctioned, were looted by the government. “Farmers, entrepreneurs, business community, industries have collapsed. And to further destroy the economy of the nation, ‘designless GST’ was imposed at various levels of percentage of tax, confusing the nation and the business community even more, he stated.
Therie asserted that now, economy experts have summed up the policies of the government of the day to the country’s GDP falling down to 3.7%, amounting to more than Rs.44-45,00,000 cr. Also lashing out at the BJP-led central government for inflation on the rates of essential commodities, he said price rise could not be controlled because of the government’s wrong policies in adopting religious divide. This, he stated, brought down the country’s economy in such a manner that it lost international markets and is now confined to doing business within itself mostly. Exports and imports markets have shrunk and they were now almost at their lowest ebbs, he stated.
He took a dig on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for having doubled the prices of cooking gas (LPG), petrol, diesel while they have dropped in the international markets. Questioning why Modi and Jaitley failed to bring down the prices of these goods, he pointed out that neighbouring nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan or Myanmar were paying at the most Rs.32 for petrol and about Rs.20 for diesel.
Adding to this, Therie stated that people were again imposed with a “designless GST (Goods and Services Tax)”, making them pay ‘double tax’ through GST by way of paying tax for material, then pay again for the finished/manufactured product.
In Nagaland, he said people were made to pay multiple taxes both legal and illegal- GST, state government taxes, underground taxes etc. but the state government is unable to do anything towards this, he asserted the MLAs were unfit to represent the people ‘when they cannot protect life and property of their own subjects’.
“Without understanding ABC of the GST, they have passed GST in assembly, not knowing the impact of demonetisation,” he said.
Therie also remarked that the Modi government promised zero-balance account but later proudly announced that it had collected Rs.235 crore as penalties from SBI account holders for not maintaining minimum balance. “Who are these people? They are the poor ones- students and farmers. Can Modi and Jaitley be considered wise men? They are capable of robbing the poor. India’s voters should throw them to the Bay of Bengal!” Therie stated.
He alleged that BJP is one of the greatest corrupted parties and if there are any black money, it would be with BJP and RSS.
“Some of our friends still believe that if we are not close to the central govt, we will not be benefitted in development activities. This is what the BJP preaches and what the 60 MLAs of the state believe. Have they (Nagaland government) received any special plan or non-plan assistance after three and half years? No, they have not been able to even receive whatever has been sanctioned or budgeted. And they continue to say we need to be close with the BJP government at the centre- at the cost of our people, at the cost of our faith, at the cost of our history!” the PCC president stated.
He further concluded that Modi’s assessment of curbing terrorism with demonetisation was foolish. He claimed that the nation does not trust Modi anymore, and even his own colleagues do not trust him anymore.
He stated that it is time for leaders to make the people realise that BJP’s policy of ‘religion divide’ has divided and pushed Nagas from mainland India.
On the occasion, the NPCC also resolved to urge the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to move for the joint parliamentary committee to probe into demonetization and corruption; that GST should be completely reviewed; investigate corruption in corporate loan waiver; and inflation on petroleum products, cooking gas etc.
