BJP Flays Decision To Give Nobel Prize To Abhijit Banerjee, Slams Rahul Gandhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit out at the Congress and at the decision to give Indian-American economist Abhijit Banerjee Nobel Prize for Economics. 

Banerjee, 58, was one of the economists Congress had consulted before formulating Nyay (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) before the Lok Sabha elections 2019. NYAY was the flagship social welfare programme proposed by the grand old party in its poll manifesto. The scheme promised to give 20% families in poorest of the poor families in the country Rs 72,000 each annually in order to ensure get access to basic amenities.

Senior BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde, in a twitter post, said: "Yes, the man who recommended #inflation & #tax rates to be raised for our country ..., has been recognized and awarded #NobelPrize2019."

Yes, the man who recommended #inflation & #tax rates to be raised for our country via #Pappu, has been recognized and awarded #NobelPrize2019.

Pappu can really feel proud of his #NYAY proponent while the poor nation missed out the benefits!!!!!!!!!!

— Anantkumar Hegde (@AnantkumarH) October 14, 2019

BJP's IT department in-charge Amit Malviya attacked Rahul Gandhi and wondered if he would ever learn to be "graceful" after the former Congress president hit out at the Modi government's economic policies while congratulating Banerjee.

Banerjee won the coveted honour, Gandhi noted that the economist had helped conceptualise Nyay, and then the opposition leader took a dig at the government.

"Abhijit helped conceptualise NYAY that had the power to destroy poverty and boost the Indian economy. Instead we now have Modinomics, that's destroying the economy and boosting poverty," Gandhi tweeted while congratulating him.

"Here is PM Modi congratulating Abhijit Banerjee without any ifs and buts despite knowing that he has been a critic. And Rahul Gandhi is not only politicizing Abhijit's Nobel prize, but also using it to attack PM Modi. I know it is tough but will Rahul ever learn to be graceful?" he tweeted.

Here is PM Modi congratulating Abhijit Banerjee without any ifs and buts despite knowing that he has been a critic.

And Rahul Gandhi is not only politicizing Abhijit’s Nobel prize, but also using it to attack PM Modi.

I know it is tough but will Rahul ever learn to be graceful? pic.twitter.com/COuEEeze1k

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 14, 2019

Malviya posted a screenshot of congratulatory messages by both Modi and Gandhi to make his point.

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Modi had earlier tweeted, "Congratulations to Abhijit Banerjee on being conferred the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. He has made notable contributions in the field of poverty alleviation."