Ponnala Laxmaiah slams Modi's comments on budget

Nampally: Former PCC president and former minister Ponnala Laxmaiah on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments that his predecessors at the Centre prepared budget only to face elections.

Ponnala condemned the comments and said that they were unfortunate. Speaking to the media here, he asked Modi whether the BJP would have come to power if the Congress-led Central government prepared the budget for elections.He alleged that Modi was trying to get votes based on caste and religion and added that the budget was also prepared by the Central government by keeping in view its votes. Reminding the PM that he had promised Rs 5 lakh-crore package to Bihar before the State elections, he asked whether the package was given.

Making it clear that BJP promised reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh, Ponnala asked if Modi had fulfilled all the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014. He alleged that Modi failed to honour his promise of Rs15 lakh to every citizen of the country and providing two crore jobs. He claimed that Modi's statement amounted to insulting 130 crore people of the country.

The Congress leader pointed out that the BJP-led government had announced sops worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu , Assam, West Bengal and Kerala keeping in view the upcoming elections. He made it clear that the Congress party was responsible for turning the country into the third powerful economy of the world.