'Senior citizens' club, diversion from govt's failures': Opposition slams reshuffle

The Opposition on Sunday was unimpressed with the rejig, which saw the introduction of nine new faces and the elevation of four ministers to Cabinet rank.

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CONGRESS:

The Congress on Sunday took a dig at the induction of four former bureaucrats in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet, saying it showed he did not trust his political colleagues.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari also described the nine new ministers as a “senior citizens’ club”, pointing out that while the median age of a person in the country was 27 years, the average age of the new entrants was 60.44 years.

Talking to the media, Tewari claimed Modi was “strangely disconnected” from the Cabinet reshuffle exercise.

“It seems that (Bharatiya Janata Party president) Amit Shah is the prime minister,” he said, referring to reports that claimed Shah summoned ministers and asked them to resign before the rejig.

He also termed the expansion “maximum government and minimum governance”.

He also accused the BJP of including in the Cabinet a “doctor beater” with a motive to “communalise” Karnataka, ahead of the state assembly elections next year.

CPI-M:

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said that the Cabinet reshuffle is done for diverting people’s attention, because of the epic failure of demonetisation.

CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the nation runs under the prime minister and from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“This cabinet reshuffle is for diverting attention because of the epic failure of demonetisation. Everyone knows that the nation runs under the Prime Minister and from the PMO. So there is no point of saying who sits where,” he added. 

BSP:

The expansion of the Narendra Modi cabinet at the Centre is an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the government’s “failure” in tackling burning issues the country is facing, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, while referring to the induction nine new ministers, also said that retired bureaucrats were being relied on more than politicians.

The expansion is an attempt to divert attention of the people from the “failure of the government on burning problems like poverty, unemployment, Ganga cleaning” as well as promises made by the BJP during the Lok Sabha polls, Mayawati said.

“This is new drama being enacted by the BJP. The people have lost hope and are angry with the government. In place of politicians, retired bureaucrats are being relied on more in the expansion and an attempt is being made to propagate the agenda of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” she said in a statement.

-- With inputs from ANI