Congress destroyed institutions, pressured judiciary when in power: Union minister Vaishnaw

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday accused the Congress of destroying the countrys institutions and pressuring the judiciary during its rule and said several opportunities for Indias progress were lost when the party was at the helm.The judiciary is independent at present and law enforcement agencies too have been doing their job independently against corruption, he said.If we look at our countrys economic history...the first four decades were lost decades....

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday accused the Congress of destroying the country's institutions and pressuring the judiciary during its rule and said several opportunities for India's progress were lost when the party was at the helm.

The judiciary is independent at present and law enforcement agencies too have been doing their job independently against corruption, he said.

''If we look at our country's economic history...the first four decades were lost decades.... The entire country, our enterprises, energy, creativity of the nation, the youth's talent, everything was tied into cobwebs. They were tied in a manner so that no one can make progress. ''The world used to think that this country had a lot of potential but the Congress government made all four decades lost decades,'' Vaishnaw said at the Times Now Summit.

He said there were improvements in the economy and a lot of reforms took place under the regime of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He said then again a decade came which was turned into a lost decade from 2004 to 2014, when the Congress-led UPA was in power.

He said India was the 11th largest economy when Vajpayee handed over the government to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2004. The economy was at the 11th rank globally when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in 2014, he said.

''What does this mean? It means the entire 10-year period was wasted. Modi ji took responsibility at the 11th rank and now we have already reached the 5th spot. It is Modi's guarantee that we will be the third largest economy by 2027-28,'' Vaishnaw said.

He said that India is well on its path to be the third largest economy.

''I can say with 95 per cent confidence that in the coming 10 years the country will grow at a consistent rate of 6-8 per cent real growth...In the coming five years, Bharat will be among the top five semiconductor destinations of the world. I can say that with a very high level of confidence,'' the minister for IT, Telecom and Railways said.

The minister said that investors now have confidence in India.

He said that Apple's iPhone makers in India at present employ around one lakh people.

Asked about his views on a group of lawyers' letters to the Chief Justice of India, Vaishnaw said the Congress has a full history of pressure tactics and it is their nature.

''They have killed the Constitution, killed several institutions. They put so much pressure on the judiciary. The Congress used to say Congress needs a committed judiciary. Congress has a culture that no institution should remain independent.

''The...self-confidence that the country has at present, none of the Congress malice cannot shake this country, cannot touch the Constitution of this country and Congress has not much power left to disturb any institution,'' the minister said.

More than 600 lawyers, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, wrote to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, alleging that a ''vested interest group'' is trying to put pressure on the judiciary and defame courts, especially in cases of corruption involving politicians.

Vaishnaw said that law enforcement agencies are doing their job to fight against corruption.

''Modi ji has taken strong action corruption and will fight against it,'' he said.

On the BJP and the BJD not stitching an alliance in Odisha after talks for it, Vaishnaw said that conceptually an alliance between the ruling party and the principal opposition is very difficult. ''We will contest all the seats, both Lok Sabha as well as Assembly. We will emerge with very major gains. An alliance between the ruling party and the principal opposition party is improbable,'' the minister said. Vaishnaw said Modi has earned the trust of people and the party is going to ask for votes on the basis of the work done by the government.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)