New Delhi, Oct 4 : Criticising Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia for drafting out an unusual Rs 32 per capita per day urban poverty line definition, senior Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) leader Murli Manmohan Joshi said the government was trying to save its honour at the international level as till 2015 all developing countries have been directed to lessen their poverty line by 50 per cent.

"The Planning Commission is totally confused without any understanding of the problem. Neither they are aware of the poverty in the country, nor do they know anything about price rise. As far as my understanding goes, according to the millennium goals of development till 2015, all the developing countries have to lessen their poverty line by 50 per cent. Since the government has to decrease the poverty line by 50 per cent they are working on such exercises," Joshi told the media here.

The commission''s affidavit in the apex court, claiming that per capita expenditure of Rs. 32 in urban areas and Rs. 25 in rural areas was enough to sustain oneself, had sparked row.

Further taking a cue on the involvement of Home Minister P Chidambaram in the 2G Spectrum scam, Joshi said that it was high time Chidambaram be sacked from his position.

" Salman Khurshid is a good lawyer but he can not defend a defenceless case. There is no defence to the case. Rather than misguiding the people, government and later the Supreme Court it would be better that he should identify the role of Chidambaram in 2G spectrum scam. What was his role? How much is he culpable in the scam and based on the facts that have come out till now and the fact sheet provided by the Ministry of External Affairs. There is a very clear cut case of dismissing him from the cabinet," added Joshi.

He said the opposition failed to understand the priorities of the ruling government, which did not have time to solve various national issues but was rather engaged in its own internal war.

"As far as I guess they (government) do not have time from their internal war. They do not know whom to save first; P Chidambaram or Montek Singh Ahluwalia or they should try to solve the problems of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. We fail to understand their priorities, whether country is on their priority list or not. This shows that this government is now completely out of the balance. It has totally become an unbalanced government. Prime Minister has no control and therefore the logic is that the earlier they relive us from the pain it would be much better," added Joshi.

The Central Government has been facing the anger of opposition parties over various scams that have rocked the country this year. (ANI)