Congress counters Modi government's 'white paper' with 'black paper'
The Congress has brought a "black paper" to counter the Narendra Modi government's "white paper" on its performance over the past 10 years. At a press conference in Delhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge released the "black paper" titled '10 Saal Anyay Kaal,' which highlighted the "failures" of the government on tackling issues like unemployment, inflation, and farmers' distress. This comes ahead of the government's presentation of a "white paper" in Parliament, addressing the alleged mismanagement of the economy before 2014.
Why does this story matter?
The Congress is the main opposition party in India. Under it, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governed India for two terms—from 2004 to 2014—before the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) defeated it. With the general election approaching, Congress is hoping to rekindle its flame. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc was formed last year, under the party, to challenge the ruling BJP in the elections. The BJP, in comparison, appears confident of winning again.
Kharge hits back at BJP
During the press conference, Kharge said, "The government will never say how many people got jobs. They are releasing MGNREGA funds. There is discrimination being done with non-BJP states like Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana." Accusing the BJP government of "finishing democracy," Kharge said, "There is a danger to democracy in the country...In last 10 years, 411 MLAs were taken on by the BJP. They toppled so many Congress governments."
Read Kharge's post on X
FM Sitharaman will table 'white paper' in both Houses
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table "the white paper" in both Houses. In her Interim Budget Speech last week, the BJP leader announced that the government will table a white paper "to look at where we were till 2014 and where we are now." The objective of this move, she explained, "was to draw lessons from the mismanagement of those years." The extension of the budget session from Friday to Saturday could provide a platform to table the report.
BJP's 'white paper' to highlight economic turnaround
Separately, BJP leader Jayant Sinha said the government's "white paper" will focus on India's "poor economic conditions" under the UPA government and how the BJP administration managed to turn things around. Sinha noted that in 2013—when the UPA was in power—India was among the "fragile five" economies worldwide, with GDP growth at 5%, inflation at 10%, and banks' NPAs at 10%. The white paper will explain how the Modi government addressed these challenges.
What is black paper?
Coming to black paper, it is a document that provides a critical or opposing view on a specific topic, issue, or policy. It is distinguished by its oppositional stance, which seeks to challenge prevailing narratives, policies, or opinions. Black papers address contentious issues and provide evidence, analysis, and arguments to support their opposing viewpoint. They may criticize current policies, point out flaws, or offer alternate ones.
What is white paper?
A white paper, on the other hand, is a formal document that presents detailed information, analysis, and proposals on a certain topic or issue. White papers are generally authoritative, informative, and objective in nature. They seek to inform decision-making processes, provide solutions to problems, and make recommendations for action. Governments, organizations, and experts often present white papers to educate stakeholders and affect policy debates.
