In photos: The bizarre things our politicians said about the economy and business

[caption id=“attachment_84171” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  Politicians love the spotlight. And what better way than to get people to sit up and take notice than to say something outrageous or crazy? Indian politicians also seem to have a penchant for saying crazy things, especially on economic matters. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in particular, has a knack for blurting out some remarkable mind-benders. Here, he compares land acquisition models to toffees, which is to say, at the very least, original, if not particularly logical. Nevertheless, someone needs to tell him that land is acquired per square metre, not per metre.[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_84175” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  Of course, one silly comment merits another. Instead of having adult debates on adult topics, such as the state of the economy and policy making, we get a ‘childish’ riposte on Gandhi’s comment from the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi. Indian voters should be grateful for one thing though: both Modi and Gandhi seem to like children, going by their “toffee” references. India’s young population has reason to cheer.[/caption]

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[caption id=“attachment_84174” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  Aah yes. What can we say about this one? This is one of those priceless statements that will go down in the history of voluminous book of goofy statements made by Indian politicians. If poverty is indeed a state of mind, the world has been spending a hell lot on treating this mental disorder. Judging by their actions, Congress doesn’t believe its own leader. If poverty were indeed just a state of mind, they sure are wasting a hell lot of real money – Rs 1 lakh cr – on a food security programme for the imagined poor.[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_84172” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  This has got to qualify for being one of the craziest statements ever made by a politician. Union Minister Salman Khurshid’s comment on justifying the inaction on the part of the government after the 2G scam broke was something that made most sane individuals go ‘What the hell?!’ Clearly, he doesn’t think poor governance, lack of policy making and slowing economic growth have anything to do with discouraging investments. Basically, the reason we’re facing trouble in attracting investments is because we’re locking up too many white-collar criminals in jail. You nailed it, Khurshid.[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_84173” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  We’re really curious to know when Raj Babbar last had a meal for Rs 12. Although he later retracted his statement, it set off a frenzy of debate over the poverty ratio, poverty line and the great divide between urban and rural consumption. In any case, Babbar’s unbelievable statement made us realise that the line between Bollywood and Indian politics isn’t that distinct – apparently, you can transition from one make-believe world to another with ease.[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_84177” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  Not sure what Kapil Sibal was smoking when he made that comment, but it sure was something strong. We can’t imagine anyone believing that statement, including Sibal. The government and investigating agencies are still figuring out the exact number. What we want to know is this: if there was really no loss, why are we still talking about the “2G scam” even today?[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_84178” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  Maharashtra’s state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar made an insanely insensitive comment when asked about a farmer fasting to urge the government to release water from the dams in Maharashtra to help overcome a drought in 2013. We have to hand it to Pawar – he certainly knows to do some “out-of-the-toilet-bowl’ thinking. Understandably, he later apologised for the comments, but seriously, this country needs politicians who can think beyond peeing to alleviate the state’s/country’s water shortage challenges.[/caption]