PM, all Ministers campaigning in Gujarat, only bureaucrats working: Congress

The Congress on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all central Ministers of pitching their tents in Gujarat to campaign for the upcoming assembly elections, and leaving all the work of governance to the bureaucrats.

The Congress also wondered at the "ferocious publicity" blitz launched by the BJP in campaigning in the state.

"Prime Minister himself and the national government is in Gujarat. Leaving all the policy related decisions, which are to be made in this nation of 130 crore people, on the bureaucrats, the Prime Minister and his Ministers have taken residence in Gujarat Nivas," Congress leader Anand Sharma said addressing a press meet.

He said the scale of campaigning being done by the BJP in the state was "unprecedented".

"Such ferocious publicity apparatus and resources have been deployed by BJP in campaigning, which has never been seen before during any election, whether in state or at the national level," he said.

Sharma criticised the BJP-led union government for not making good on the promises it made in the poll manifesto and exhorted the people to hold the party to account and ask it questions on rising unemployment and stalled growth.

He said he pitied the government which relies on an external rating agency (Moody's) to validate its performance and "celebrates" on its economy being granted the certificate of "stable".

He said it was the same company which had accorded similar laudatory scores to such firms as AIG Insurance and others which went bust during the 2008 meltdown not much after.

On the question of rising unemployment, Sharma said: "Instead of launching... counter campaign, they should launch campaign of apology for betraying the people and telling lies."

--IANS

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