Navjyot Sindhu also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India initiative
The wave in favour of Narendra Modi in 2014 national elections that had helped the BJP come to power with a comfortable majority has turned out to be 'poisonous' for the common man, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said in poll- bound Madhya Pradesh.
The cricketer-turned politician said the Prime Minister has also been reduced to acting as a puppet in the hands of the moneybags.
"The 2014 Modi wave has turned out to be poisonous for the common people. Modi saheb has been reduced to act as puppet in the hands of the money bags (2014 ki Modi leher ab aam aadmi ke liye qahar ban gayi hai, zehar ban gayi hai. Modi Sahab sirf poonjipatiyon ki katputhli ban ke reh gaye hain)", the news agency ANI quoted Mr Sidhu as saying.
Addressing a campaign rally ahead of the November 28 state polls in Bhopal, Mr Sidhu took a jibe at the 'Make in India' initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"When Rafale jets will come from France and bullet train from Japan, what will people do here? They will fry pakodas," Mr Sidhu said referring to the NDA government's decision to fly 36 fighter jets in fly away condition from France and India's agreement with Japan for the bullet trains.
Mr Sidhu said the Modi government has been unwilling to pay fair prices to farmers for their produce but "the diesel price has been increased by Rs 6 to reached Rs 82 per litre."
"This was not "arthshastra" (economics) but "anarthshastra" (policy of disaster)", PTI quoted Mr Sidhu as saying.
The ruling BJP attacked Mr Sidhu for his "unsavoury" comment on Prime Minister. The BJP spokesperson BJP in Madhya Pradesh Sarvesh Tiwari said: "Navjyot Sidhu has no right to comment on the Prime Minister. He himself is hungry for power and has no principles, as he jumps from one party to another."
In January 2017, less than a month before the Punjab assembly election Navjot Singh Sidhu switched from the BJP to the Congress. The Congress is trying to stop the BJP from coming power for a fourth straight term in Madhya Pradesh.
(With inputs from agencies)