Weak leadership, policy paralysis under UPA regime hampered critical defence preparedness

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday tabled the ‘White Paper on the Indian Economy’ in Lok Sabha. The document details the failures of the UPA-led government during its rule and highlights the successes made by the NDA-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in the past 10 years. From scams to wastage of public resources, the White Paper calls attention to the damages made to the economy by the UPA government under its tenure. The document also mentions the lack of defence preparedness during the UPA government era. “Such was the lack of consideration for long-term national development that even the critical issue of defence preparedness was hampered by policy paralysis. Weak leadership and a consistent lack of intent and action resulted in defence under-preparedness,” the document read. Armed forces were plagued with a shortage of combat-ready equipment and ammunition by 2012, the White Paper says. The period also saw delayed procurement of fighter jets and equipment like bullet-proof jackets and night vision goggles. “In the UPA government, decision-making came to a standstill due to corruption and scandals in defence , compromising defence preparedness. The government delayed the acquisition of artillery and anti-aircraft guns, fighters, submarines, night fighting gear and a host of equipment upgrades,” the document further says. Along with this, the White Paper has listed several scams that marked the rule of the UPA government such as the non-transparent auction of public resources, the 2G spectrum scam, the coal gate scam and the Common Wealth Games (CWG) scam.