Natarajan slams Modi over children's condition in Gujarat

CAG had recently said 66% of children in Gujarat were underweight

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Union minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Monday said she was surprised over Modi touring the country when children in his state Gujarat were "suffering" without food.

She also questioned how he would protect the nation.

"We hear that lakhs of children are suffering without food in Gujarat. While he is not able to give protection to his own state, I'm amazed and surprised as to how he is touring the whole country," Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters at the airport here.

CAG had recently said that 66 per cent of children in Gujarat were underweight.

She also questioned that if Modi was not able to protect Gujarat, how was he to protect the country.

Replying to another query, she said fuel leak from some oil firms' pipelines into drinking water supply in north Chennai has already been plugged and efforts being taken to avoid such instances in the future.