By IANS,
New Delhi : The government would be incapable of taking “firm and timely decisions” in the times of the global economic crisis as it has only a “part-time finance minister” in Pranab Mukherjee, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial hopeful L.K. Advani said Thursday.
Addressing the 81st annual general meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here, Advani said: “With Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh convalescing, India now has a second part-time finance minister in Pranab Mukherjee.”
He said Mukherjee was competent but his hands were full.
“When the same person also heads the largest number of groups of ministers (GoMs) that any prime minister has created since Independence, one can only conclude that (this) government is incapable of taking firm and timely decisions,” Advani said adding: “Surely, India deserves better.”
Mukherjee was given the additional charge of the finance portfolio after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was hospitalised last month.
The prime minister has been holding the charge of the finance ministry as P. Chidambaram was made home minister in place of Shivraj Patil, who stepped down owning moral responsibility for the Nov 26 Mumbai terrorist attacks.