Cong defends Modi's remarks on Unnao fort excavation

Gujarat CM had lambasted Centre for 'gold hunt'; advised UPA to recover black money stashed in Swiss banks

The hunt for hidden treasure by the Archaeological Survey of India from an old fort in Unnao in UP has assumed political overtones with BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi lambasting the Centre for the “gold hunt” and advised the UPA to recover the black money stashed in Swiss banks instead.

The Congress led UPA which was on the defensive, claimed that the ASI excavation was on the basis of a technical report of the Geological Survey of India (GSI).

Addressing BJP workers in Chennai today, Modi said, “The government has started to dig for some 1,000 tonnes gold, after someone dreamt of it. You bring back the money that the looters have stashed in Swiss banks. That would be more than the value of 1,000 tonnes of gold.”

According to local reports, a local seer had dreamt of the hidden treasure’ lying buried within the fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh; which has prompted the digging by the ASI.

The Opposition BJP has attacked the Congress as it was allegedly Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries as well as its PCC chief in Chattisgarh Charan Das Mahant who had taken up the issue and got the Culture ministry involved which in turn roped in the ASI. Mahant had visited the seer’s ashram on September 22 and October 7.

Attempting to deflect any allegations, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury today responded, “This is typical of Narendra Modi. He launches into issues without doing his homework.”

Chowdhury added, “It was the Geological Survey of India which has conducted tests and found presence of a non- conductable material there. Therefore it is on their report that the ASI is carrying out the excavation.” “If the seer's dream is true or not we will get to know soon. The State Government has taken a decision to this effect.”

Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh was martyred during 1857 fight with Britishers, appeared in the dream of the seer Shobhan Sarkar and asked him to take care of the gold treasure buried in the remains of his fort. The government’s haste to order a full fledged digging for the fabled 1000 tonnes of gold that too based on a dream of a holy man, has led to widespread criticism of its move.