Liberate Guj from "divisive" politics: PM, Modi rebuts charge

"Unlike the Opposition we do not play politics of dividing the people. Such type of politics is bad in itself and for a longer period of time cannot be beneficial for a political party," Singh said addressing his first poll rally in Gujarat.

"The time has come to liberate Gujarat from this type of politics and to not let those people come back to power, who have been trying to get votes by dividing our society and country," Singh said without naming Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The rally was held in the tribal town of Vansada in Navsari district.

Rebutting the Prime Minister's charge that minorities were feeling "insecure" in Gujarat, Modi accused him of playing votebank politics in the name of minority community.

"The Prime Minister, who visited Gujarat today, is playing votebank politics in the name of minority and majority (communities). It is sad that Prime Minister of the country cannot rise above votebank politics," Modi said at a poll rally in Valsad town.

"The Prime Minister is saying that minorities feel insecure in Gujarat. With a sad heart, I have to explain to him that Gujarat does not distinguish between minority and majority and the state government is working for the upliftment of six crore people of the state," he said.

"You (PM) get elected in the Rajya Sabha from Assam. The entire country knows about the massacre that went on in your home state six months back. Districts after districts were engulfed in communal violence," he added.

However, in the last ten years there had been no communal violence in Gujarat, he claimed.

The Prime Minister had said, "We have been getting regular complaints that minorities and few other segments of society are feeling insecure in the state. Even a few state government officers have filed such complaints, which is very unfortunate for our country.

"It is a matter of great regret that such type of environment has been created in the land of Mahatma Gandhi," he added.

The Prime Minister also sought to pick holes in development claims of the Modi government, saying it has failed to take growth to the needy sections of society.