Congress a party of 'Luddites', blocking every change: MJ Akbar

HYDERABAD: Union Minister MJ Akbar today likened the Congress to "Luddite" group during the industrial revolution in Britain which blocked every change, and alleged that the opposition party stood for "pro-corrupt status-quo".

Speaking after inaugurating the 'Digidhan Mela' here, he launched a scathing attack on the Congress for "opposing this great massive sweeping transformation" brought in by demonetisation that is taking the country towards a digital and cashless economy.

"There was a group called Luddite which blocked every change by even breaking up machinery that would bring in change. Regrettably or perhaps inevitably the Congress has become a party of Luddites who are against any change and who are for a pro-corrupt status quo," the Union Minister of State for External Affairs alleged.

"One cannot even sometimes believe the intensity of their (Congress') campaign in order to protect the corrupt," Akbar said, adding that one of the biggest enemies of poor is corruption because it steals national resources of "our nation and transfers them into the pockets of a few".

"The story of hundreds of thousands of crores in the 10 years that has... before this government... where did that money go? That money was people's money; it disappeared into the possession of a few," he alleged, referring to the previous 10-year UPA rule.

Highlighting the importance of Jan Dhan programme, Akbar termed it a move of "taking the straight digital route into the lives of the poor".

"Today, poor have a place in which money can be sent directly," he said.

Today, technology is being used at changing and improving the quality of life of the poorest of poor. This is a technology revolution of unprecedented dimension. This is technology at the service of poor and poorest of the poor. This is technology being used to end the curse of poverty," Akbar added.