New York Times: Useless PM controlled by powerful Sonia

“India’s once booming economy is sliding into a deep slump. The country grew just 4.4 percent this summer, a far cry from the 7.7 percent average for the past decade,” The New York Times said in an editorial Sunday. The report went on to say that unlike other growing economies which are facing the economic downturn, most of India’s problems have domestic causes, which need to be effectively tackled by the country’s government.

The editorial also slammed the country’s UPA coalition government for its involvement in various corruption scandals and for its mismanagement in dealing with large infrastructure projects. “In the nine years that the coalition government has been in power, several ministers have resigned in corruption scandals; large infrastructure projects have been delayed by mismanagement; the government’s budget deficit has ballooned, thanks to wasteful spending like subsidies for diesel fuel; and politics have thwarted reforms in labour and education,” the daily said.

It further blamed the Congress party for showing little concern for India’s ailing economy.

“Manmohan Singh has been an ineffectual leader without much authority. The real power is held by his political patron, Sonia Gandhi, who leads the Indian National Congress party, which has expressed little concern for the country’s ailing economy,” The New York Times said.