NEW DELHI: The Babhratiya Janata Party described the Congress (I) promise to bring down prices in 100 days as “hollow” since the finance minister, Dr. Man Mohan Singh, has said this was not possible.
BJP president, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, said the Congress (I) would not be able to fulfill any of the promises made in its manifesto.
He told journalists here that the government should take into confidence all the political parties and the nation before going for the IMF loan.
He said the conditions laid down for the IMF loan were a “serious encroachment on the nation’s sovereignty as it would curtail the nation’s defense expenditure”. He demanded that the government should bring out a white paper on the state of the economy and efforts be made to tide it over.
Dr. Joshi said the BJP was op- posed to the IMF loan in principle as it meant mortgaging the nation and it made a mockery of self- reliance.
However, the party may recon- sider its stand if the government gives a solemn undertaking that this will be the very last loan, and the loan as well as the conditions must be discussed with the op- position parties before the loan agreement is signed, he said.
He said the BJP was opposed to the IMF insisting on the entry of multinationals.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 12, 1991
