Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday said President Pratibha Patil’s address to parliament was “completely lacking in vision” and devoid of any connect to the common man’s economic woes. The party said it would move amendments on “sensitive issues”, including formation of an anti-corruption body.

“The address does not indicate steps that the government intends to take in order to revive economic sentiments. There is no mention of how the economy can be improved and how it will benefit the common man,” BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia told reporters here.

“The pressure the economy is imposing on the common man is tremendous,” he said, adding that the president’s address was “completely lacking in vision, having no big picture”.

The BJP leader said the opposition had started its course in parliament on issues such as the controversial anti-terror intelligence hub and discussion on demands of trade unions.

“In the name of national and internal security, the government is forcing National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and national intelligence grid, without consulting state governments or their chief ministers,” Ahluwalia said, adding that the issue is likely to be discussed over the next three days.

“On the sensitive issues, there is a possibility to propose amendments. This is virtually snatching the rights of states without consulting them. We have just heard the speech, we have to go into the nitty-gritty of each paragraph,” the Deputy Leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha said.

“We have to file our amendments by evening or tomorrow morning,” he added

Odisha’s chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Bihar’s Nitish Kumar and Tamil Nadu’s J. Jayalalithaa have raised objections against the anti-terror intelligence hub that is aimed at integrating and analysing inputs on terror threats in India.

Addressing the joint session of Parliament on the first day of the budget session, the president said the current year had been a difficult one for global economy, while the Indian economy had maintained a healthy growth.

The president’s address was disrupted on issues like Telangana, atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils, sub-quota for minorities, and shortage of fertilisers.

The BJP said the President’s address did not restore the lost confidence of the states on the central government due to its anti-federal attitude.

“The NCTC is a government ploy to dilute the law and order and public order powers of the states. The address instead of showing a road map for the nation, conveys a gloomy picture of the government suggesting that it has reached end of the road,” the party said in a statement.

Expressing disappointment with the address, it said the address has been converted into a “grocery list of the various departments of the government”.

“..It does not deal with the issues of corruption and restoration of the credibility of the political leadership,” the party said.