Pune:THE Maharashtra Congress today ridiculed the claim of BJP that it desired to make the country economically self-reliant, saying that the BJP-led NDA cannot make any such
promise when it has transferred country's public wealth to a select few crony capitalists.

''It is the BJP-led NDA government which has handed over the country's precious wealth to a few favoured crony capitalists. And the same BJP was talking of making the country economically self-reliant. This is a ridiculous claim,'' said Congress spokesperson Gopaldada Tiwari at a press conferenc in the city on Tuesday.

The Congress said during the tenure of UPA 1 and UPA 2 led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, over 26 crore people were elevated above poverty line in 2014 when the country started its march towards becoming an economic super power. ''This was a fact. However, for the first time in 70 years, the Modi Government waived off record loan of private industrialists. In 70 years, the country witenssed record bank fruads. Several crony capitalists close to BJP fled the country after plundering it,'' said Tiwari.

The Congress spokesperson said the demonetisation initiated by Modi Government ensured that black money became white and return to adversely affect the economy.
       
The Congress said through false advertisements, the Modi Government was trying to woo the voters. ''The Modi Government was allowing crony capitalits to plunder national wealth and turning a blind eye towards rising inflation and unemployment. And at the same time, it was trying to impress the voters by creating an image for itself through false advertisements,'' Tiwari said.

The Congress said the Prime Minister had recently said he would not spare even a single corrupt leaders. ''The BJP has imported all such corrupt leaders in the party fold...The entire country has witnessed the blatant lie the Prime Minister was resorting to...Instead of taking action against the corrupt, the BJP and the Prime Minister were laying red carpet for them....Speaking lies and misleading the people is atop the agenda of the Modi Government,'' Tiwari said.

The Congress, Maha Vikas Aghadi and INDIA bloc, said Tiwari, was fully determined to bring down the a Government which has given corruption a state recognition.