Congress to Unite Opposition Parties to Take on Modi Govt over Economic Slowdown

By Siddharth SharmaNew Delhi [India], Sept 20 (ANI): The Congress party is planning to unite like-minded opposition parties in the coming days to take on Modi government over the current economic slowdown in the country, according to sources.To highlight the failure of the government, the Congress is all set to call a meeting of the leaders of the opposition parties to discuss the economic issue. However, the date of the meeting is yet to be decided.The meeting is likely to be held in the first week of October and informal talks regarding this are underway, the top source of the party told ANI.On September 12, Congress had organised a meeting of party leaders across the country, PCC Chiefs, CLP leaders, general secretaries were invited and party interim president Sonia Gandhi chaired it in presence of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The party decided to stage nationwide protest from October 15 to 25 and hold conventions to highlight the "economic slowdown" in the country from September 28 to 30.Manmohan Singh to lead the front as his findings on the economic slowdown cannot be ignored. Earlier, his observation at the time of demonetisation of a dip in Growth Domestic Product (GDP) by 2 per cent was proved correct. In a recent video statement, Singh blamed the six-year low in the GDP growth rate on the Narendra Modi government's "all-round mismanagement".Now, Congress wants that like-minded parties should also be included in a discussion that how the government should be countered as the Centre is ruling out any negative impact of economic slowdown on people. Another aspect of calling the opposition parties on the same platform as Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana are around the corner. The Modi government in one hand denying opposition's claims on economic slowdown and on the other, taking on Congress and other opposition parties on the issues of abrogation of Article 370 and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Thus, now the opposition parties want to shift the narrative on the core issue of the economic slowdown in the country. The Congress leader has been targeting the government over its handling of the economy and had on September 2 accused it managing the nation through "headline management" rather than finding a concrete solution to treat slowdown.The economic growth slowed to a seven-year low to 5 per cent in April to June quarter from 8 per cent a year ago, as per the government data.The slowdown was largely due to a sharp dip in the manufacturing sector and agriculture output, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation had said in a statement. (ANI)

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