PM tears into BJP government in Gujarat

Targeting the Narendra Modi government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said time has come to "liberate" Gujarat from divisive politics and regretted that minorities were feeling "insecure" in the BJP-ruled state.

"Unlike the Opposition we do not play politics of dividing the people. Such type of politics is bad in itself and for a longer period of time cannot be beneficial for a political party," Singh said addressing his first poll rally in this tribal town of Navsari district in south Gujarat.

"The time has come to liberate Gujarat from this type of politics and to not let those people come back to power, who have been trying to get votes by dividing our society and country," Singh said without naming Modi.

"Congress party has always acted to unite the people of country. We know that if there are fissures in our people on the lines of religion, caste, creed and clan...Then we cannot surge ahead as a nation," he said.

"We have been getting regular complaints that minorities and few other segments of society are feeling insecure in the state. Even a few state government officers have filed such complaints, which is very unfortunate for our country," Singh said.

"It is a matter of great regret that such type of environment has been created in the land of Mahatma Gandhi."

The Prime Minister also sought to pick holes in development claims of the Modi government, saying it has failed to take growth to the needy sections of society.

"Development in Gujarat is only for a few people. A big portion of the population here has remained untouched by this economic development. Because of the policies of the state government, there is an imbalance in the society," he said.