'Congress lacks issues for poll'

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took on Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi who was on poll campaign for his party in the state. He said that Congress did not have issues for the poll. Modi pointed out that he addresses more public meetings in one day than what Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul have done during the entire campaign.

"Today Rahul Gandhi came and said I have a close relation with Mahatma Gandhi. But you were not even born then," Modi said. Referring to Rahul he added, “Rahul Baba said I am walking on Gandhiji’s path but if he is actually walking on Gandhiji’s path then one wish of Mahatma Gandhi would not be left incomplete- which was to disband the Congress after Independence.”

 

The Chief Minister spoke at length about the development initiative in the state over the last 11 years and pointed out that even while criticizing the Gujarat Government people talk about development but in case of the UPA all that is talked about is scams and price rise issues. Modi said that there was lack of issues in the Congress campaign.

On Rahul's comments that Congress brought mobile phones the Chief Minister asked, "Do the youth want jobs or mobile phones? Do the women want to see prices come down or they want mobile phones? In any case, if half the nation is under darkness under your rule, where will we charge these mobile phones?" Modi said that instead of talking about what the Congress will do for the nation, they are stuck on mobile phones.

On Rahul's comment that Gujarat Assembly does not meet for more than 25 days in year, Modi shared that from May 2011 to May 2012 the Congress General Secretary's attendance in the Lok Sabha was 24 out of 85 sittings. From 2010 to 2011 it was 19 out of 72 sittings.

The Chief Minister posed a direct question to the Congress "What happened to the 10 million jobs you promised in 2009? You took the votes but has any youngster here got a job from Delhi?" Modi questioned. He also talked at length about the policies of UPA terming it as anti-farmer.

Terming the attitude of the Congress led UPA as anti-Gujarat, Modi affirmed that instead of presenting Gujarat as a beggar state by invoking the money that is coming from Delhi, the PM should share that Gujarat contributes Rs 60,000 crore to Delhi every year. “Is Gujarat a beggar state? Are we living at Delhi’s mercy? The Prime Minister’s language does not suit the office he holds,” he added.