Sibal, who addressed a media conference at Congress headquarters in Mumbai, punched holes in Modi's claim of big achievements and also took potshots at the popular slogans of the ruling dispensation to promote its image within and outside the country.
Launching a scathing attack on prime minister Narendra Modi, who is completing one year in office, Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Saturday accused Modi of indulging in crafting his own image across the border at the cost of ignoring grave realities within the country.
Sibal, who addressed a media conference at Congress headquarters in Mumbai, punched holes in Modi's claim of big achievements and also took potshots at the popular slogans of the ruling dispensation to promote its image within and outside the country.
He accused Modi of going "overboard" to craft his image abroad and said, "Modi extended $1 billion line of credit to Mongolia while farmers in Vidarbha and Andhra are committing suicide. He doesn't have a line of sympathy for them."
Sibal said Modi insulted India abroad just to earn brownie points among NRIs. Referring to a recent statement of the PM given in China, the former minister said, "Our PM said earlier people were ashamed of being born an Indian but now they felt proud to represent the country. This is disgusting. Is this the way to project himself? People must condemn such false rhetoric which undermines the image of India outside."
Taking a dig at finance minister Arun Jaitley, Sibal said, "Badi badi baatein karte hain Jaitley sahab (Jaitley talks big)... He says government has controlled inflation. But has he been down from the first floor of the North Block? What will a person who sits in North Block know about market!"
Sibal said the prices of pulses, vegetables, milk and grains had gone up.
"They have given the slogan of 'saal ek, kaam anek', but in reality, it's 'saal ek, baatein anek'," charged Sibal.
While Modi continues to take credit for all the good things, even those being done after SC order, like coal block allocations, non-performing assets of banks have touched Rs7.12 lakh crore, and factory output and job generation have dropped, he added. "The only thing that has gone up is saffronisation of government agencies and religious intolerance."
Congress leaders Arif Naseem Khan, Suresh Shetty, Anant Gadgil, prof Al-Nasser Zakaria and Dr Raju Waghmare were present at the event.
Congress is observing "death anniversary" of the Modi Government on May 26, a term said to have been coined by state party chief and MP Ashok Chavan. The party plans to take to the streets nationwide.
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