Venkaiah Naidu said that there has to be a broader consensus as far as foreign and economic policies are concerned. (File photo) Venkaiah Naidu said that there has to be a broader consensus as far as foreign and economic policies are concerned. (File photo)

At a time when the Narendra Modi-led central government is battling a public perception of economic mismanagement, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Friday threw his weight behind the present dispensation and said the country has to face temporary pain for long-term gain.

“The temporary things… there will be some problem. Of course, you have to take temporary pain for long term gain. I am not getting into this arena. There are other people who are debating, using their skills, forgetting what they have done, what has to be done, what needs to be done,” Vice President Naidu said.

The Vice-President also stated that there has to be a broader consensus as far as foreign and economic policies are concerned.

Maintaining that even China is witnessing a slowdown in its economy, Naidu said that the global economy has slowed down and added that India remains a bright spot”in the midst of this”.

His reaction comes days after senior BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha launched an attack on the government over handling of the economy. Sinha in his article in The Indian Express had blamed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the “mess” in the economy. He wrote that the economy is in a downward spiral, its revival unlikely by the 2019 elections and a “hard landing appears inevitable.

Later in the day, at a book launch event in New Delhi, Naidu talked on several issues. On terrorsim he said, “Terrorism has no religion, caste, creed.”

He further said, “Religion is used to mislead the younger generation, we should be wary of this. We should educate and enlighten people on evil effects of terrorism, how much it costs. Every country should speak in one voice. Political parties within the country also should speak with one voice, they shouldn’t try to score brownie political points.”

Naidu said, “Bullet can never bring change. If even if it brings change temporarily, it will not sustain. It is the ballot which is powerful than bullet in democracy, that has been proven. The society should discourage acts by people taking to arms and then trying to achieve there state political goal.”

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