Sonia attacks Modi, BJP on Gujarat's development, skips foreign trip issue

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday while flagging off party's election campaign for Gujarat Assembly elections from Rajkot, attacked chief minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over various issues, but refrained from commenting on the controversial issue of expenses incurred on her foreign trips.

The allegation over Gandhi's foreign trips expenses being incurred from the government treasury was recently raised by Modi early this week. He had cited a newspaper report claiming that an RTI application had revealed that Rs 1880 crore was spent on Gandhi's foreign trips. The BJP has been backing Modi's charge on Congress president and demanded that the Union government give figures of her expenses during trips abroad.

Speaking from the Race Course ground in Rajkot, Gandhi said that the foundation of Gujarat's development was laid by the Congress party and not by Modi. "Some have the habit of taking credit for development which others have brought. They are free to do so," she said indirectly pointing at the Gujarat Chief Minister. "The Congress has laid down the foundation for development in Gujarat. It has tried to live up to its ideals and has come a long way. But still has miles to go. It is unfortunate that our opponents only see darkness and cannot see the development," Gandhi said, adding the state government was always misleading people about development-oriented policies, because of which people are not able to see a clear picture.

Attacking the Modi government on the issue of fuel prices Gandhi said that the Central government was doing everything possible to control it, but it was up to the states to do their bit too the ease the pressure on the common man. "Why doesn't the Gujarat government decrease the value added tax (VAT) on fuel in the state. VAT in Gujarat is the highest in the country. Also, the Congress-ruled states have decided to subsidise three gas cylinders to domestic consumers. Why shouldn't Gujarat do it," she added.

"There is big difference in what the state government promises and what it does. Its intentions are not right," Gandhi said, making an appeal for bringing Congress party to power in the state. She also gave a call to give rise to a new Gujarat.

She said it was deplorable that water from the Narmada river has not reached the Saurashtra regions in as envisaged in the original scheme design prepared by the Congress and Jawaharlal Nehru when the foundation for the project was laid.

"It is unfortunate that the waters of the Narmada from the Sardar Sarovar dam have not reached Saurashtra. In the past 10 years, Saurashtra was denied Narmada waters," Gandhi claimed.

She asked the Modi government to conduct a crop failure survey and send a report to the Centre so that farmers could be compensated. Accusing the Modi government of deliberately hiding facts about Center's funding to Gujarat, Gandhi said, "The UPA government has given 50 per cent more funds to Gujarat compared to the BJP-led NDA government."

Backing the Union government's decision of allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, the UPA chairperson said the move will help eliminate middlemen and bring benefit to the farmers. She alleged that the BJP was misleading the people of country on the issue.

"FDI in retail will benefit the farmers of Gujarat. States are free to implement FDI move or sidestep it. The farmers will be able to get their produce to consumers, sellers without middlemen. If one Chief Minister doesn't want to implement FDI in his state, it is his choice. Why mislead the people and create such a big fuss over FDI?" she added. Gandhi also blamed the BJP for not allowing the Lokpal Bill to be passed in the Parliament. The party which do not allow parliament to function are anti democracy and anti constitution, she added.