15 July,2013 01:52 AM IST | | Priyankka Deshpande
A month after he was elevated as chairman of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) election management committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi yesterday launched a blistering attack on the government at a gathering in the city yesterday.
In full flow: Gujarat CM Narendra Modi launched a blistering attack on the government at a gathering in the city yesterday. Pic/Sachin Thakare.
In a series of verbal attacks, while addressing the public rally, organised by the BJP's city wing, Modi hit out at the ruling party, accusing them of causing the slowdown in economy and hiding under the veil of secularism to cover its failures.
To avoid any controversy, the Gujarat CM did not to react to the slogans emanating from the supporters praising Lord Ram and targeted Congress's pseudo secularism and failure to keep its promise of eliminating poverty during its reign.
On Poverty
Modi said that Congress came to power by announcing the slogan of âGaribi Hatao' by promising to eliminate poverty 35 years back, but failed to keep its promise. "It's time to question them whether they succeeded in keeping its promise of poverty alleviation," he said.
On Rahul Gandhi
Taking a dig at the Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi spending a day with poor families in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said that the âprince' of India did this to show how 35 years of governance by his own party could not eliminate poverty.
Hasty ordinance
Sounding the bugle for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Modi raised a question on the hasty decision of the Union Government in coming out with an ordinance on the Food Security Bill without conducting a discussion in both the houses of the Parliament.
"If the discussion would have been held in the houses of the Parliament regarding the Food Security Bill, the credit of introducing the bill would have gone to the alliance parties along with Congress. However, to avoid giving credit to its allies, the Congress purposely brought out the ordinance so that they can alone snatch the credit of introducing the bill," said Modi. He added that instead of bringing various Acts, the government should implement actions.
On secularism
Lashing out at the Congress party's pseudo secularism attitude, Modi asserted that whenever the party comes under fire, it hides under the veil of secularism.
"The nation is going through a tough time with issues of high inflation, unemployment and the safety of women, but it seems that the party is looking the at issue of secularism, instead of focusing on these challenges," he said, adding that the citizens should tear apart the cloak of secularism.
On financial policies
Criticising the weak policies of the UPA government, Modi said that although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is an economist, he has failed in handling the financial issues of the nation. "Even small countries like Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar and Sri Lanka have become successful in stabilising the value of their respective currencies. However, the rupee's free fall is inching towards the finance minister's age," said Modi.
On power crisis
The Gujarat CM also expressed his displeasure with the policies of the Maharashtra government. Calling it a policy-paralysed government, Modi said that even after facing a power shortage in the state, the state government didn't accept the electricity offered by by his state Gujarat.
"If the gates are constructed at the Sardar Sarovar hydro project, Gujarat can provide double the electricity to Maharashtra at free of cost. However, a meeting on it is not convening," said Modi.
âJanata Raja'
Several BJP party workers were witnessed holding posters mentioning Modi as âJanata Raja', a word used for Chhatrapati Shivaji, describing him as the leader who has knowledge of good governance.
The slogan was the brainchild of three young party workers, Rajesh Pande, Siddharth Shirole and Parag Kulkarni.
NSUI's black flags
The Bund Garden police booked members of National Student's Union of India (Congress party's student wing) for showing black flags to Modi yesterday. "We detained and let off eight NSUI members under the Section 68 of the Bombay Police Act for showing black flags to Modi," said senior police inspector Ukhaji Sonawane. While Zone II DCP, Ramnath Pokale said that the ground was over crowded than its capacity and therefore 300 police were on the bandobast duty.
