The Centre on Tuesday dismissed criticism of the National Democratic Alliance government's economic policies by former Union Minister Arun Shourie, saying that it was his personal opinion, which was different from what people think.
Union Urban Development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said people know about the challenges the government has inherited and emphasised that there has been "no scam, no scandal and not even one mistake" under it.
"We are a democracy, he (Shourie) has his opinion, but the country's opinion is different," Naidu said adding the people were supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in all parts of the country and BJP is winning one poll after another.
On Monday, in a sharp attack on the Modi government, BJP leader Arun Shourie contended that it believes that managing economy means "managing the headlines" and that people had started recalling the days of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"Doctor Singh (Manmohan Singh) ko log yaad karne lag gaye hain (People have started recalling the days of Manmohan Singh). The way to charaterise policies of the government is -- Congress plus a cow. Policies are the same," Shourie said at book launch function.
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event organised by Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation ministry, Naidu said government of India is at no fault in any of the incidents which have taken place and some people were unnecessarily try to highlight them and trying to defame the country.
"Some people may have made comments here or there may have made some comments but they have been disowned by the party, disowned by the government," Naidu said adding that even the Prime Minister had made his views clear on the issues.
Opposition parties have criticised the government over incidents like Dadri lynching saying it signified rising intolerance.
Naidu, however, said that the government agenda is only development and asked people not to be carried away by the "disinformation campaigns by political opponents."
"Some people are saying intolerance has increased. Yes unable to accept the people's mandate the opposition has become intolerant," Naidu said.
When asked about Shourie's comments that he felt there was never a weaker a PMO as now, Naidu said it need not be discussed as some people were saying that the prime minister is all powerful while others saying he is weak.
Speaking at a book launch event on Monday, Shourie mocked the NDA government saying that it was nothing but 'Congress plus cow'.
"There is a clearer belief that managing economy means managing headlines about the economy and this is not really going to work. The way to characterize the policies of the Government is Congress scaled plus a cow," Shourie said.
He also said that the Prime Minister's Office was never as weak as it was now.
"I feel there was never a weaker a PMO as now... There has never been as great a centralisation of functions, not power, of functions in PMO as now," he said.
Shourie further said that looking at the way economy is being managed at present, people have started recalling the days of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Meanwhile, the Congress Party on Tuesday welcomed Shourie's criticism of the NDA government, alleging that the present regime had done nothing but made false promises in its 16-month rule.
Lauding Shourie for speaking the truth, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the ruling dispensation at the Centre is more focused on grabbing headlines.
"What he has said is the reality. The Congress has always been saying this. This government has done nothing other than making false promises to the people in the last 16 months. They have been keen to make headlines than running the government," Tiwari told ANI.
Congress leader Manish Tewari echoed similar views and said that the people were indeed missing former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
"The way the current dispensation has unleashed anarchy in the last 17 months, people are missing days before they (NDA) came to power. I agree with him that people are indeed missing Dr Manmohan Singh," he said.
