New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today rubbished the claims made by the Narendra Modi government on economic revival.
He said that the Congress does not need to be defensive since many of its initiatives are being repackaged by the NDA government.
While describing Modi as an event manager, he said, "I have to acknowledge that my successor has been a more adept salesman, event manager and communicator than me."
He also raised questions on the claims that GDP growth accelerated after BJP-led NDA stormed to power.
"There is somewhat of an euphoria that our GDP growth since 2014-15 has started accelerating once again. But doubts have been expressed both within and outside Government about the validity of the new GDP numbers," he said at the meeting of the Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled states.
Singh also said the Goods and Services Tax bill, in its present format, won't help the Centre or the states.
"We made every effort to make GST a reality but we were up against an obstructionist BJP. Now the BJP has become the greatest champion of GST, but I am not sure that the law we are presently considering is best route forward," Singh said.
Earlier, Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused the Centre of engaging in a dangerous duplicitous game by allowing his colleagues to create an atmosphere of "fear and foreboding" by fomenting "communal polarisation".
