Modi targets Rahul over "sermons" on corruption

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Press Trust of India Mumbai
Last Updated : Dec 22 2013 | 5:10 PM IST
Narendra Modi today took a dig at Rahul Gandhi for his attack on corruption before Corporate India which amounted to doublespeak by the Congress, a party which he accused of being "immersed" in graft.
"I heard the speech of a big Congress leader yesterday. He was speaking against corruption. See their daring. No one else can dare do this. These people are so immersed in corruption.
"Despite this, they make innocent face and speak against corruption," the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate said in an obvious reference to the Congress Vice President's remarks on corruption before business leaders yesterday.
"The Adarsh commission report has indicted ministers. On one hand, Maharashtra government decides to save the corrupt and on the other, a Congress leader is giving sermons in Delhi," he said without naming Rahul. The Maharashtra Government had rejected the Adarsh report which had indicted three successive Chief Ministers--all Congress leaders.
"Congress speaks one thing and does another," he told a huge public rally here.
Interacting with business leaders here and responding to their concerns yesterday, Rahul admitted that corruption is the "biggest issue" that is "bleeding people dry".
"Corruption is bleeding our people dry. It is an unacceptable burden on the people of our nation. We must fight corruption with all our strength and determination," he said but asserted "this government has done more than any other government to combat corruption.... The Congress Party has developed a framework against corruption."
Modi, who began his speech in Marathi before switching over to Hindi, accused Congress of being involved in divide and rule for vote bank politics. "This has been their speciality. They learnt this from British." said.
"The problems we face won't be solved till we free India from vote bank politics and get it on path of development politics," he stressed.
The reason for the problems the country faces is not our history or geography but Congress-ruled governments, he said.
"The voice of 'Congress-free India' should go out from Mumbai, which first gave the call of 'Quit India' against British rule," the Gujarat Chief Minister said.
"I wish that in 2014 elections, votes should be sought for the country and not in the name of party. We want to say, "Vote for India", to free the country of dynastic rule, corruption, inflation, bad governance and to maintain unity of the country," he said.
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First Published: Dec 22 2013 | 5:10 PM IST

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