NDA vs UPA: Who should get the credit for economic revival?

The NDA government on Monday rejected former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's claim that the 5.7 per cent growth rate which Indian economy has clocked in the first quarter of the current fiscal was on account of the policies of the previous UPA regime. 

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that while Chidambaram was "free" to make such claims, the economic buoyancy witnessed in the country is the "reflection" of the action taken by the Narendra Modi government. 

"It doesn't matter what Chidambaram says because people have seen in this country how the economy got decayed, how it was destroyed during their (UPA's) 10-year government. Today they are seeing the difference," Javadekar said. 

Chidambaram had on Saturday said that the 5.7 pc growth rate vindicates the UPA position that the decline in GDP growth had been halted in the middle of 2013-14 as also its forecast that the upturn will take place in the beginning of 2014-15. 

Hitting out, Javadekar said that the Modi government has put an end to the phenomenon of "policy paralysis" witnessed under UPA rule. 

"Now, there is no policy paralysis. Decisions are taken and they are getting reflected in the buoyancy of the economy." 

"If that is happening, it is the Modi government which is doing it. If Congress still wants to say it happened because of them (UPA)... in democracy, everybody is free (to express views), but nobody will buy those," Javadekar said. 

Refuting BJP's argument, the senior Congress leader said, "Can the Modi government name one measure that was implemented after May 26 that yielded results by June 30? It cannot. 

Hence, the credit for Q1 (gorwth) belongs entirely to the UPA government. NDA should stop being churlish and give credit where it is due." Javadekar averred that the thought process in government has changed after Modi took over as prime minster. 

"Delay is out, decision is in," Javadekar said when asked about the NDA government's achievements in its first 100 days in power. "Policy paralysis has ended. That is the biggest achievement of the Modi government. Every ministry is taking decisions in the larger interest of the country, that is the big difference," he said. 

"Earlier there were no decisions. Or, if any decision was made, there was corruption and everything. Now, it is a transparent mechanism, a transparent government," he added.