Patna:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday criticised Narendra Modi-led BJP government for giving benefit to a section of industrialists at the cost of ordinary people.
“Nobody at the top is thinking about the people. They say one thing, do something else. They are out to please a few. There is a need for all inclusive development,” Kumar told a rally of party workers at the Gandhi Maidan here.
“The Union Budget presented yesterday is for the benefit of corporate houses. They are cutting down corporate tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent. Wealth Tax has been removed and surcharge has been imposed on some people. This budget will affect the expansion of service sector and hit people with inflation,” he said.
Quoting figures, which he said were from reliable agencies and available easily on internet, Kumar pointed out that the wealth of the top 10 to 12 billionaires in the country had gone up by Rs 42,460 crore over the last nine months since the BJP-led government came to power in the Centre.
“Wealth of one particular capitalist, whose name everybody takes, but I’ll not take, has risen by Rs 16,740 crore over this short period,” he said.
Kumar said it seemed ‘achhe din’ (good days) had come for those for whom it was intended. “It hasn’t come for those for whom it was not meant to.”
Extending his wishes to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who took oath today, Kumar did not spare the opportunity to flay Modi and played an audio clip in which the Prime Minister was heard lambasting ‘father-daughter’ and ‘father-son’ governments during one of his poll rallies there.
“He (Modi) kept talking about integrating Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country and what not. He talked about giving a chance to others instead of ‘father-daughter’ and ‘father-son’ governments. But now he has joined them. These people say one thing, do something else,” Kumar said.
