Jaitley targets Congress over dynastic politics

Targeting Congress for practising dynastic politics, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley said that a debate should be initiated on whether only a leader born in a particular family should lead the country.

Gwalior: Targeting Congress for practising dynastic politics, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that a debate should be initiated on whether only a leader born in a particular family should lead the country. Without naming Congress Vice President and it`s heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi, Jaitley said, "these days there is a move in the Congress to hand over the reins to him. Is India a dynastic democracy? The BJP should initiate a debate in the country on the issue."

Jaitley was addressing a meeting of party`s booth-level coordinators here. "There is a need to initiate a debate on whether only a leader born in a particular family should lead the country or the states or it should be the one who became a leader because of his abilities," he observed. Referring to all top BJP leaders including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Narendra Modi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Dr Raman Singh, he said that they became leaders not because of any family link, but because of their hard work. Criticising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his failures, specially corruption, he said that the country has not seen such a corrupt government in its history and policy paralysis affecting economic growth. "For the first time in the country there is a policy paralysis as the economic growth has come down to five per cent from the eight per cent which is a matter of concern," Jaitley said. PTI