Congress' 'black paper' vs govt's ‘white paper’: A look at last ten years from different perspectives

The Congress on Thursday released a "black paper" to highlight the "failures" of the Modi government, alleging that the last 10 years were a period of "injustice" with issues such as rising prices, unemployment, subversion of institutions and "discrimination" against non-BJP states plaguing the country.

Congress president Malllikarjun Kharge released a 54-page "charge sheet" indicting the Centre ahead of the government's tabling in Parliament of a 'white paper' on the "mismanagement" of the economy prior to 2014 with an aim to draw lessons.

"We are bringing out a 'black paper' against the government. Whenever PM (Narendra) Modi presents his views in Parliament, he hides his failures. At the same time, when we speak about the failures of the government, it is not given importance. Therefore, we thought of bringing out a black paper and tell the public about the failures of the government," Kharge, who was flanked by party leaders Pawan Khera and Syed Naseer Hussain, said at a press conference.

"Non-BJP ruled states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are being discriminated against and neglected. They (Centre) don't release funds and then say we have released the funds but it was not spent. They purposely stall work... this is a big conspiracy of the BJP," Malllikarjun Kharge alleged.

Kharge also alleged that the Modi government was "extorting" money through the route of electoral bonds.

"They are using this money to finish democracy. They made 411 MLAs cross over to their side. We had elected governments in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Uttarkhand. You know how governments were made to fall... Their (BJP) job is to finish democracy," he said.

The "black paper" highlights