Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Apr 27 (ANI): After senior Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha lauded Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah for his role in India's independence, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the onus is on Sinha to clarify his views.
"Shatrughan Sinha should explain whatever his views are. A few days ago, he was a part of BJP. So, let BJP explain why he was a part of BJP for so many years. I do not have to explain the statement of every member (Congress). I can only speak for the party's official position," he told reporters here.
Sinha, who recently left BJP and joined Congress, on Friday lauded Jinnah as well as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru for the roles they played in India's independence.
“Congress family from Mahatma Gandhi to Sardar Patel to Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Jawaharlal Nehru... It is their party. They had the most important role in development and freedom of the country. This is the reason why I have come here (in Congress),” Sinha had said while addressing a rally in Chhindwara.
Chidambaram, meanwhile, said that Congress has "significantly gained" from BJP after the first three phases of polling.
"As a single party, Congress is level with BJP. Congress has gained significantly and BJP has suffered loses. Congress and its allies (in Maharashtra) have taken the lead over BJP and its alliance. People have voted against the false narrative of BJP in terms of security, pseudo nationalism and the twin disasters of demonetisation and flawed GST," he said.
Refuting the BJP's claims that Congress would not be able to guarantee security in the country, Chidambaram remarked that India is safe as it possesses a professional unit of Army, Navy and Air Force and not because of "one person who boasts of a 56-inch chest."
"We will restart the country's growth engine. We will waive agricultural loans and address grievances of farmers. We will create jobs with the immediate step to fill 24 lakh vacancies in central and state government levels. We will transfer Rs 72,000 into the account of five crore households who are below the poverty line. We will resume educational loans, encourage new businesses that will be exempted from obtaining licenses and approvals for three years," the senior Congress leader elaborated.
Chidambaram further said that the party, if voted to power, would stop the 'misuse' of investigative agencies and re-establish the rule of law and an atmosphere of freedom where people can live without fear.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of backtracking from the promises he made in 2014, Chidambaram said, "The Prime Minister no longer talks about 'acche din' (good days). I have not heard him uttering the phrase in any of his speeches. He himself does not believe that he can deliver on tall and false promises he made in 2014."
Continuing his attack against the BJP, the former union minister said, "The BJP-led NDA government derailed the Indian economy. Farmers have sunk deeper into distress and debt in the last five years. Every section of people, including journalists lives in fear. Every institution has been debilitated or captured."
Raking up the issue of demonetisation, Chidambaram termed it as a 'scam' and said that the objective of wiping black money failed completely and the same will be investigated if the party came to power.
"Demonetisation was an ingenious device of BJP to help its friends convert black money into white money. It's a scam. Every money has come back to banks. This will be investigated when there will be a change in government," he said.
Accusing Modi of not campaigning on the BJP government's works undertaken in the last five years, Chidambaram said, "We campaigned on our 10-year-old record in 2014. The Prime Minister should also do it based on his government's five-year-old record. But, he is campaigning on pseudo narratives like security, nationalism etc. You (Modi) do not speak about unemployment or farmer's distress at all."
Responding to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's nomination as the party's prime ministerial candidate, the Congress leader said that Opposition will decide on the same after the results of the Lok Sabha elections are announced.
"After elections, all opposition parties will sit together and a decision will be made to select the prime minister. Indian elections have been held without projecting anyone as the prime minister. In a situation, where a coalition is likely, it is not appropriate to project anyone as prime minister," said Chidambaram.
Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats. Election to 31 seats was held in the first three phases of polling on April 11, 18 and 23.
Polling in 17 constituencies will be held on April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.
The Congress and NCP are jointly contesting the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. Under the seat sharing pact, Congress will be fighting on 24 seats and NCP on 20 seats.
Bahujan Vikas Aghadi is contesting on one seat, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana on two seats and Yuva Swabhimani Paksha on one seat. (ANI)