Modi blames PM for weak economy

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Saturday took a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and blamed him for a slowing down economy while saying the Congress treats people as a vote bank.

"Singh is a doctor of the rupee which is hospitalised and is fighting for life," Modi said referring to the sliding rupee while addressing a rally in Ambikapur, some 250 km from Raipur.

Modi, seen as a top contender to be the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also used the occasion to attack the Congress and its vice president Rahul Gandhi without naming him.

"There are people who are highly protected but when they sometimes speak it pains me. They say poverty is a state of mind," Modi said referring to a remark allegedly made by Gandhi recently.

"His grandmother Indira Gandhi, who gave the garibi hatao (remove poverty) slogan, must be feeling very sad at his comment," said Modi.

He also targeted the planning commission, headed by the prime minister, for its poverty estimates that anyone spending over Rs.32 a day in urban areas was not poor.

Modi also attacked the Congress.

"The Congress is full of arrogance and treats people as a vote bank. People are suffering but the government in New Delhi has done nothing," he said.

He praised his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh of the BJP and asked people to vote for him in the coming polls.

"Raman Singh has nurtured the state for the past 10 years now...vote for him as the next five years are crucial for growth," said Modi.

Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh are scheduled for December.