New Delhi: Taking a dig at politics of dynasty, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said times have changed and now surnames do not seem to matter in politics.
"I used to undersay that except in politics in other areas of life surnames don't matter. But now it appears even in politics it matters a little less.”
"Merely (because) you came from a distinguished family and somebody else came from less distinguished (family)...," the senior BJP leader said on Thursday.
Although he did not name anyone, the reference was apparently to parties like Congress and Samajwadi Party with top leadership dominated by families and which did not do well in the elections.
Jaitley, who was addressing students of the prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) here, said the world today offers entirely different kinds of opportunities.
Talking about the economy, Jaitley said in the last few years it has slowed down.
India growth, which was 8-9 per cent during the global economic crisis, slipped to below 5 per cent in the past two financial years.
The Finance Minister said as a result of lower growth, the job opportunities have shrunk, economic activities have contracted and government's revenue collections was down.
"I think we need to re-emphasise debate which has been going in the country for last 24 years, do we want an over regulated society, do we want high taxation society...," he said.
Stating that the economic reform which started in 1991 had unleashed the energy of the country and allowed people to grow, Jaitley said, "One of my regrets not personal regret, but for the country that what we started in 1991, I only wish we had started a decade or two earlier."
He said that economic reform is a process in which we have unleashed energy and in the process of unleashing the energy of the country, we allowed people to grow, people to find their spaces.
Citing example of growth in Information Technology (IT) sector, the Finance Minister said, "Why IT was the area which grew most, the only reason was this is only one area where state has no role.
"Areas from which the states have withdrawn and allowed people to decide their own destiny, Indians have shown tremendous amount of entrepreneurship, they have shown a tremendous amount of ability."
