By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Sunday described the cabinet reshuffle as a ?meaningful change? but the BJP termed it as an effort to divert attention from failures of UPA government, and the CPI-M said the reshuffle will not benefit the Congress.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Venkaiah Naidu said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance had ?ruined the economy, was neck-deep in corruption and had failed to check prices? and the rejig had failed to give any message.
He said the government had decided to retain some ministers despite charges against them.
?Now, in order to cover up and divert the attention of the people from its failures, it has taken up cabinet reshuffle. The cabinet reshuffle by the UPA-II is a desperate attempt to mislead the people. It has failed to give any message,? Naidu said.
Terming the changes as cosmetic, he said it will not help the Congress to prevent a defeat in the ensuing polls.
?It is now clear that the Congress is insensitive to criticism and no respect for probity in public life. In spite of serious charges against the ministers, some of them are retained and some are even promoted. It is like `make-up before pack up’. This will not serve any purpose,? Naidu said.
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Basudeb Acharia said Congress was facing pressure from people on price rise and the changes it had effected in the cabinet will not be beneficial.
?It is old wine in new bottle,? Acharia told IANS.
He alleged that some of the changes had been made under pressure from corporates.
Congress media department chairman Janardan Dwivedi hailed the reshuffle as a meaningful change and hoped it would further improve the functioning of the government.
“This is called a big change, a meaningful change,” Dwivedi said.
“The reshuffle has given representation to experienced people as well as the young and new faces…Congress has always made efforts to ensure that the new generation gets maximum representation,” he said.