P Chidambaram attacked the Modi government in a series of tweets.
Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram this morning hit out at the ruling BJP over "sliding economy" after the government data on Monday showed that consumer inflation in December at 7.35 per cent was worst since July 2014. The "sliding economy is an even greater threat to the country," he said, adding that "there is the danger of youth and students exploding in anger".
December marked the third month in a row in which consumer inflation - or the rate of increase in consumer prices - remained above the Reserve Bank of India's medium-term target of 4 per cent, dashing hopes of further monetary easing at a time when economic growth has fallen to lowest in more than six years.
Attacking the Modi government in a series on tweets, the ex-finance minister wrote: "The circle of incompetent management is complete. Mr Narendra Modi's government started in July 2014 with CPI inflation at 7.39%. In December 2019 it was 7.35% (sic)."
In another tweet, he took a jibe at PM Modi over his poll promise of "Acche din" (better days). "Food inflation stands at 14.12%. Vegetable prices are up 60%. Onion prices are over Rs 100 per kg. This is the achhe din promised by the BJP."
"The nation is engrossed with the anti-CAA, anti-NPR protests. Both present a clear and present danger. The sliding economy is an even greater threat to the country. If unemployment rises and incomes decline, there is the danger of youth and students exploding in anger," the 74-year-old further wrote.
The tweet attack this morning by Mr Chidambaram comes a day after he took a dig at PM Modi amid widespread protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA.
PM should "select five of his most articulate critics and have a televised Q and A session with them. Let the people listen to the discussion and reach their conclusions on CAA," the Congress leader wrote on Monday. M
Massive protests have been held over the past few weeks against the citizenship law which makes religion the test of citizenship for the first time. The government says the citizenship law will help non-Muslim minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh - to become Indian citizens easily if they fled to India before 2015 because of religious persecution.
Critics say that the law, when implemented along with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), will threaten genuine Muslim citizens in the country.