Congress uses Gujarat govt report to slam Modi on "lie" on development

New Delhi: A Gujarat government report which concluded that people have not benefited from economic progress under Narendra Modi`s rule was latched on to by Congress to puncture "the balloon of lie" being projected by the BJP`s PM candidate and the "crony capitalists" around him.

Stepping up attack on Modi, Congress termed the Gujarat model of development as "sheer largescale hoodwinking" by the "ideal events manager" and cautioned the nation against falling prey to the propaganda. "Led by a section of crony capitalists, Narendra Modi and Co have built a balloon of lie by marketing like an event manager," party spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters here. He said the socio-economic review of 2012-13 of Gujarat exposes the "sheer falsehood" of the "propaganda machine" being unleashed in real and virtual world by Modi. Quoting the report, Congress said the dividends of rapid economic progress are yet to be translated into the improvement of the quality of the life of the people of the state. Surjewala said the report "really establishes that the entire state of so-called economic progress in Gujarat has been directed and aimed at certain sections, certain crony capitalists favourable to the Chief Minister of Gujarat." Since 2000-2001 upto 2012-13, that is in 12 years, the benefit of economic progress has not trickled down to the common man of Gujarat, he said citing the report. "Which progress is Narendra Modi speaking about," he questioned.