New Delhi: Terming as "bizarre tokenism"
Congress` attempts at austerity, BJP on Tuesday said several MPs
travel by economy class but it makes news only when the Gandhi
family does so.
Commenting on Rahul Gandhi travelling by chair car on
a train and Sonia Gandhi travelling by economy class during
her flight to Mumbai yesterday, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap
Rudy said, "While many times hundreds of MPs travel by
Shatabdi, the Gandhi`s travelling makes big news. We hope they
continue to do so."
"While Mrs Gandhi now prefers to travel in economy
class little does she know how much cost the country bears to
keep her in austerity," he added.
The BJP MP maintained that his party would appreciate
any endeavour to embrace cost-cutting measures across the
board and accused the Congress of engaging in a "ludicrous
display to deflect attention from the unprecedented price
rise ever witnessed".
"Bizarre tokenism of economy perpetrated by Congress
is a feeble attempt to hoodwink the nation. Tom-tomming of
sacrificing their luxury travel to economy is just a hogwash
to distract the nation faced with galloping food prices," Rudy
charged.
However, when asked if BJP MPs and ministers would
also follow such austerity measures, he evaded a reply.
"By the hype on austerity is the government trying to
create an alibi for an impending holocaust awaiting the nation
primarily arising out of gross mismanagement on the price
front and their inability to handle the drought crisis?" Rudy
asked.
He said the flip-flop on food stock has fuelled
speculation and hoarding has added further to the woes of
people who are already facing spiralling food prices.
Rudy also drew attention to Railway Minister Mamata
Banerjee giving cabinet meetings a miss more than half a
dozen times.
"Files relating to major railway decisions are piling
up in the office or at times are rushed with a special
messenger by air or train....it would be prudent for the UPA
government to look into their backyard and be answerable for
thousands of crores of project overruns and wasteful expenses
in power, irrigation, highways and other infrastructure
projects," he said.
"Till yesterday the union ministers who were
gallivanting on the luxuries of five star hotels refusing to
step out disappointed at the absence of gym and privacy have
overnight become icons of austerity sermonising the nation on
their great sacrifices," the BJP leader said.
Interestingly, Rudy gave the example of NDA convenor
and JD(U) MP George Fernandes as one who led an austere life.
"The euphoric sermon of UPA leaders is suspect.... Simplicity
and austerity is Utopian to the Congress party and the facade
is not going to stay for long," he said.
Bureau Report
