'White Paper' vs 'Black Paper': BJP, Cong in blame game over economy

New Delhi: A 'White Paper' versus 'Black Paper' battle erupted on Thursday as the Centre and the Congress unveiled documents and crossed swords over the handling of the Indian economy during the nearly 10 years of the BJP-led NDA rule and the previous 10-year tenure of the Congress-led UPA government.

As the rival multi-party alliances sought to put the spotlight on economic issues just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at the Congress for coming out with a "Black Paper" on the NDA government, calling it a "kaala teeka" (black dot) that will ward off the evil eye on the achievements of his government.

While the NDA government's White Paper said the Indian economy was on "road to nowhere" in 2014 because of the multiple wrong turns taken during the UPA rule, the Congress' Black Paper highlighted what it called the "failures" of the Modi government and alleged that the last 10 years have been a period of "injustice".

The Centre's document said the Modi government after assuming power in 2014 took "tough decisions" to overcome the "hydraheaded challenges" of runaway fiscal deficit, decision stasis, banking crisis, corruption and scams.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge released a 54-page 'charge sheet' titled '10 saal anyay kaal' attacking the Centre just ahead of the government's tabling in Parliament of the 'White Paper' on the "mismanagement" of the economy prior to 2014 with an aim to draw lessons.

In the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said Kharge being an elder has put this 'kaala teeka' for the good work being done by our government in the country's progress.

"Whenever a good thing happens, we apply the 'kaala teeka' (to ward off the evil eye), and I thank Kharge ji for doing this honour," he added.

The White Paper brought out by the Centre tore into the Congress-led UPA rule, saying it had turned the Indian economy into a non-performing one through indiscriminate revenue expenditure, off budget borrowings and pile of bad debts at banks.

Indian economy was on a "road to nowhere" in 2014 because of the multiple wrong turns taken during the 10 years of UPA rule, leaving the onus on the Modi government to deal with the challenges, the document said.

Listing out 15 scams including those relating to coal block allocation, 2G spectrum auction, CWG and Saradha Chit Fund during the UPA regime, the White Paper said these corruption cases had "shaken confidence of the people" in the economy.

The Congress' 'Black Paper' on the other hand highlighted what it called social, economic and political "injustices" committed during the Modi government's tenure.

"The Modi government is silent on price rise... prices of petrol, diesel and daily essentials have reached record levels," it said.

BJP govt devastated economy: Cong

"The Modi government's 10 years in power have devastated the country's economy, aggravated unemployment, destroyed the country's agricultural sector, abetted crimes against women and committed grave injustices against minorities in the country," the Congress alleged in its 'black paper. (PTI)