INDIA
ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN RAISES CONCERN WITHIN BJP
RSS CHIEF’S PUBLIC STATEMENT FUELS THE DEBATE
2017-10-10 13:28
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In its fourth year in the government, the top brass in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party may be finding it quite embarrassing as more and more senior party members are becoming critical about the country’s sudden economic slowdown, especially since November, 2016. The big dip in the 2017-18 first quarter (April-June) GDP growth figure to 5.7 per cent has provoked an intense debate on the state of economy from both the opposition and some of BJP’s own senior party members and economists. The latest to publicly express his concern over the economic slowdown is no other than RSS chief Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat himself. The Sarsanghchalak of the Hindu nationalist organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is recognised as the most powerful external influencer of BJP. The Sangh chief is never known to criticise the party in public. Bhagwat expressed his concern over the current economic slowdown during his annual Dussehra lecture. Interestingly, BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani was a special invitee at the meeting, for the first time.