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BJP will make changes in economic policy, says Vajpayee

Former prime minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee has indicated that if his party comes to power at the Centre, it will make certain changes with regards to implementation of the economic liberalisation policy.

"We are in favour of the ongoing economic reform policy, but it should not be at the cost of rising unemployment and discriminatory earnings," Vajpayee stated at a press conference in Bombay on Sunday.

While a broad-based economic manifesto would be announced at the party's preliminary meeting at Bhubaneswar on December 18, 19 and 20, he said that the party's economic policy would be based on the twin objectives of swadeshi (nationalistic) and self-reliance. "We support liberalisation but with a human face," he declared.

He blamed the Congress as well as the United Front government for the present economic situation which is on a downslide and the nation is fast heading towards a crisis.

Apart from footing the bill for the coming midterm election, Vajpayee said the country had been made to pay an enormous price for the political instability of the last one-and-a-half years.

He pointed out that industrial growth has slowed down from 14 to 6 per cent, agricultural growth is down by more than four per cent while the rupee has crashed to an all-time low, and blamed the UF and Congress for the mess.

Political uncertainty has made investors at home and abroad nervous about the Indian market and the prices of essential commodities have galloped from one high to another.

As a fallout of the political instability, he claimed that the economy had been put into reverse gear and the common man had been burdened with back-breaking prices while urgent legislations were put on hold and the entire system of governance had been brought to a grinding halt.

Vajpayee said that the Congress is now blaming the United Front government for this economic chaos after propping up and pulling down two consecutive United Front governments in the last 17 months. "But the Congress cannot absolve itself of blame for this state of affairs," he insisted.

Expressing confidence about securing a clear majority in the forthcoming elections, which will most likely be held in February next, he declared that the BJP would provide a stable, responsible and corrupt-free government at the Centre.

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