MP: Traffic jams indicate auto sector doing fine

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Balia (Uttar Pradesh) — Virendra Singh Mast — while defending his government on poor GDP figures and economic slowdown said that if the roads are still clogged with cars, people are going to markets to shop, grooms are changing at least four suits during their wedding ceremony and marriages are a lavish affair then how can Opposition say that the country is going through economic crisis.

In an attempt to counter Opposition on its campaign on economic slowdown and how it is reflecting in the auto sector, the MP said that such statements were being made to  defame the country and the government. The GDP growth rate went down to 4.5% in the second quarter of 2019-20 when figures were released recently.

“Go and see banks in rural areas. See how much money is deposited there. So many festivals were celebrated recently — Diwali, Dussehra and Chhath — and the market was packed with people for shopping. See how much money is spent on weddings. Each groom wears at least suits during the function. There was a time during Mulayam Singhji days when people used to buy only one suit for marriage and wear it for months thereafter. If there was no sales, how would people buy so much. See the lavish expenditure on weddings,” said Virendra Singh during a debate on agriculture in Lok Sabha.

He then went on to say that the claims of slowdown in auto sector are wrong because the roads are clogged due to vehicles. “People are saying auto sector sales have dropped. Go to Delhi, Ghaziabad,, Balia, Gazipur, Bhadohi — everywhere  there is huge jam. Each house has 10 to 20 cars. So there is no slowdown in auto sector and those who are making such claims are trying to defame the country and the government,” the MP argued to counter the claims of slowdown in the auto sector.

This is the latest in the series by the BJP members to counter perception of economic slowdown in India due to Modi government’s  poor policies.