Thaindian News

Kolkata, June 20 (IANS) Questioning the Congress’ clarion call seeking support for its presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, leading Left intellectual Ashok Mitra Wednesday took potshots at the finance minister, stating he had failed to control inflation.

“The Congress is requesting everybody to support Pranab Mukherjee. They are giving a call for a consensus candidate. Just imagine how the economic and financial policies of Mukherjee and this government is inflicting heavy burden on the common man,” said Mitra, a former finance minister of West Bengal.

“They have failed to control inflation and decreasing economic growth irrespective of several assurances by Mukherjee.”

He also slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for talking about “ethics” in Indian politics over the issue of presidential poll.

“She is talking about ethics on Facebook. She is talking about unethical practices in the presidential election. But she has no right to talk about it as she herself on numerous occasions has flip-flopped on her statements. She says something in the morning and the exactly opposite thing in the evening,” said Mitra.

Last week, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh and Banerjee had virtually rejected Mukherjee’s candidature, after his name was suggested by Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the presidency during her talks with the Trinamool Congress chief.

The two parties named former president A.P.J. Kalam, former Lok Sabhaspeaker Somnath Chatterjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as theirthree preferred candidates for president.

However, Banerjee was later left red-faced after Yadav did a u-turn and said his party would support Mukherjee.

Banerjee remained firm on her stand and started a Facebook campaign to back Kalam. But she suffered another setback when Kalam withdrew from the race Monday.