Does Danve mean the country is run by incompetent people: Shiv Sena attacks BJP on country’s economy

The editorial outlined the poor economic situation in the country, including unemployment, poverty and India’s slipping rank in the Global Hunger Index 2020: it ranks lower than Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar

The Shiv Sena on Monday targeted the Central government over the state of the country’s economy and backed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Union minister of state Raosaheb Danve’s statement that running a government is not an “incompetent” person’s job. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana asked if Danve meant the country is run by incompetent people.

BJP MP Raosaheb Danve. (PTI File)

The editorial outlined the poor economic situation in the country, including unemployment, poverty and India’s slipping rank in the Global Hunger Index 2020: it ranks lower than Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. It added that India’s GDP is lower than Bangladesh’s, and India is now in the bottom-three among South Asian countries.

“Raosaheb Danve remarked that running a government is not an incompetent person’s job. He a Union minister and therefore his statement must be viewed at the national level because on the issues of hunger and nourishment India’s situation is quite serious. On one hand, we are beating the drums about being a $5 trillion economy while on the other hand, 14%-15% of the population is undernourished,” the editorial read.

India now ranks 94th among 107 countries in terms of hunger, and continues to be in the ‘severe’ hunger category according to the Global Hunger Index 2020. According to the study, 14% of India’s population is undernourished. “What Danve said is indeed true. There is hunger, poverty and malnutrition in the country and what is the Modi government doing about it?” it asked.

Continuing its sharp attack on the BJP-led government, the Sena mouthpiece said, “Running a government does not mean spreading hatred. When issues are about hunger and unemployment, topics such as Hindu-Muslim or India-Pakistan are created. Demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax has weakened India’s financial strength. Thousands of people have lost employment; instead of providing them jobs, topics such as surgical strike and Rafale are brought out.”