NITI Aayog is 'failed idea': RJD Manoj Jha takes dig at Centre's nodal agency

New Delhi [India], July 27 (ANI): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha took a dig at the NITI Aayog stating that the apex public policy think tank of the central government is a 'failed idea' adding that the body that was formed for a particular academic exercise had achieved absolutely nothing.
Speaking to ANI, RJD MP Manoj Jha said, "What is NITI Aayog? It is a body that was formed for a particular academic exercise. What is achieved from it? Absolutely nothing. What was the problem with the Planning Commission? Just because it was from Nehru's time (NITI Aayog was formed). But you are carrying several things from Nehru's era."
"NITI Aayog is a failure, a failed idea. The 240 mandate of the BJP also has the same message: that the collective should be restored," he said.
He also took a swipe at the BJP and said, "If the BJP thinks that there is a lack of coordination among the INDI alliance, then they are mistaken. Having or not having episodic coordination is a whole different thing but in essence, we are all united and stand together."
Meanwhile, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) held protests across Tamil Nadu on Saturday against the Centre, alleging that the state was neglected in the Union Budget 2024.
The 9th NITI Aayog's Governing Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in the national capital today.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the Union Budget and said that the budget seems like a "vengeful act" against the States and people who boycotted the BJP.
Several opposition-ruled states have announced they will boycott the meeting. Chief Ministers of three Congress-ruled states--Karnataka's Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh's Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Telangana's Revanth Reddy--have announced they will not attend the meeting over alleged bias against their states in the recently presented Union Budget.
Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, along with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab and Delhi governments, have said they will also boycott the meeting.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said she felt their voices should be raised on a common platform. However, today she walked out of the meeting midway alleging that her microphone was muted. The Centre, however, in a fact check said that her claim was "misleading."
This year's theme of NITI Aayog's meeting is 'Viksit Bharat@2047', with a central focus on making India a developed nation. The Governing Council Meeting will discuss the approach paper for the vision document on Viksit Bharat in 2047.
The meeting aims to foster participative governance and collaboration between the central and state governments, enhancing the quality of life for both rural and urban populations by strengthening the delivery mechanisms of government interventions. (ANI)