Murthy, Mazumdar-Shaw should question Modi on U-turns, Ramesh

BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh today said eminent people like IT czar Narayana Murty should question Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his change in stand on several key issues which he had opposed before coming to power.

"Murthy is entitled to his opinion; we are living in a free country, people are entitled to their views...Murthy is certainly entitled to his views, but I happen to disagree with him," Ramesh told reporters.

He was responding to a question about Congress criticising the functioning of the government when eminent personalities like Murthy have spoken positively about it.

Ramesh said "...Narayana Murthy should ask Modi why he opposed GST when he was Chief Minister and why he has become its biggest champion when he is Prime Minister?"

"Narayana Murthy should ask, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Biocon chief) should ask Narendra Modi why he opposed Indo-US nuclear agreement then and why he is supporting it now. Why were you against UID then and why he is in support of it now? Why don't they ask these questions? Why are tough questions asked only on the Congress party?" he questioned.

Praising the Modi government, Murthy had earlier this week said a lot of good things have happened in the last one year and the Prime Minister should be supported in his endeavours.

Ramesh said "We have great people from Bangalore Mohandas Pai (former Infosys top executive), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Narayana Murthy, all great people who have made a name for themselves, they should ask him this question. They should ask Modi what happened to the promise on black money."

Stating that Congress will continue to highlight the failures of the BJP government, Ramesh, in a jibe, said, "We certainly hope when Modi passes through India in between his various (foreign) trips, he will take account of the things that we point out and do something about it."

He said "Modi in 2014 has got a clear and convincing mandate and at the end of one year it can safely be said that Modi is firmly on the role of betrayal of that mandate."

Ramesh also took a jibe at Modi for his foreign trips and for taking domestic politics abroad.

"Congress is not opposed to Modi's foreign trips per se, after all in every government Prime Minister is a Foreign Minister in a way - right from Jawaharlal Nehru's time, and Atal Bihari Vajpaee who was Foreign Minister used to be called 'Gagan Vihari Vajpayee', but Mr Modi has become 'Super Gagan Vihari'," he said.

"Our objection is something more fundamental, never did Vajpayee take domestic politics abroad; ...Indira Gandhi, Deve Gowda, V P Singh or Rajiv Gandi never took domestic politics abroad. Modi is the first and the only Prime Minister to take domestic politics abroad," he said.

Pointing out that Congress's primary objection is that Modi continues to be in election mode, Ramesh called his accomplishment from foreign trips are "very nice headlines".