Bangalore: Attacking involvement of US consulting agency McKinsey in the planning process as being "against national interest", NDA (National Democratic Alliance) convenor George Fernandes today (Sep 14, 2004) said NDA would fight against it and the agency's recommendations and "manipulation" of the Planning Commission.

"One issue which is of concern is the way the Planning Commission is being manipulated. McKinsey is an agency which the World Bank and the IMF use to pursue their agendas," he told a meet-the-press programme of The Press Club of Bangalore.

Saying it was for the first time that a foreign agency was being "allowed to interfere" with the Planning Commission and its activities, he said, if the McKinsey's report is to be implemented, it would take the country to a "situation where it will be difficult to come out".

Describing "these developments" as "disturbing", the JDU (Janata Dal-United) leader said, "There has to be an immediate resistance to all those proposals (of McKinsey)", adding, "those concerned should fight back". "NDA has to fight against it. There is no question (of not doing it)", he said.

Flaying the McKinsey proposals on reforms in labour, privatisation of electricity, allowing the Foreign Direct Investment in the retail sector and elimination of reservation for the small-scale sector, he said they would hurt the country. He particularly targetted Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia for his attack.