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Sahai tears into CPM, SP
UNION MINISTER for Food Processing (Independent Charge) Subodh Kant Sahai accused the CPM and the Samajwadi Party of adopting double standards on economic policies and on Iran issue.
UNION MINISTER for Food Processing (Independent Charge) Subodh Kant Sahai accused the CPM and the Samajwadi Party of adopting double standards on economic policies and on Iran issue.
Sahai was here to take part in the Akhil Bharatiya Geeta Mela. Talking to newsmen, he said, “While on one hand Mulayam Singh Yadav accords red carpet welcome to Bill Clinton, on the other, he is opposing the visit of George Bush.”
Criticising the CPM for adopting double standard, he said, “In West Bengal, while the CPM government is promoting multinationals and encouraging FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), the party is opposing the UPA government on the same issue.”
On the growing opposition to the Congress government by Muslims on the Iran issue, Sahai said, “The decision has been taken keeping in view the national interest and the interest of Iran.”
“As India wanted to avoid any confrontation between America and Iran, it voted in favour of the former,” he added. The minister said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would clarify the country’s stand on Iran issue in Parliament.
Regarding the SP allegations against the Congress on Raj Babbar issue, Sahai said, “The party has nothing to do with the Raj Babbar’s outburst against Amar Singh.”
He further said the SP leaders had the habit of blaming the Congress for any turmoil in their party, He also said that UP had been the epicenter of communal politics. Expressing his concern over the communalisation of politics, Sahai said, “Earlier politicians used to visit saints for guidance but saints are involved in politics.” Talking about food processing, Sahai said, “With the rise of middle class in the Indian society, demand for processed food has increased.”
In nuclear families, where both husband and wife were working, no one had the time to cook food, Sahai said.
“In America and European countries, about 70 to 80 per cent of people use processed food. But, in India, only 2 per cent of people use processed food,” Sahai added.
The minister said that to increase this percentage, the Central Government had launched many schemes, but only Southern states, Gujarat and Maharashtra had shown interest in them.
To promote the food processing industry, the Centre had given five years’ rebate on income tax, to industries associated with food processing, the minister added.
