Rahul Gandhi questions Modi`s model of development in Gujarat

Dhar (MP): Taking a dig at BJP`s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi took him to task here today, for claiming that Gujarat developed purely because of his (Modi) magic.

Without naming Modi, Rahul said, "He used to say that development which took place in Gujarat is because of his magic." "Did women or industrialists in Gujarat not make any contribution to it," he asked, addressing a poll rally in Manawar town in favour of the Congress candidate from Dhar Lok Sabha seat, Umang Singhar. "It seems Modi alone is milching 15 lakh cows in Gujarat to produce Amul Milk and supply it," he remarked. "The fact is that it is the people of the country who runs it, but Modi claims that he will run the nation and urged people to make him `chowkidar` (watchman)," Rahul said. Targeting Modi for focussing on himself, he said that he is so obsessed with himself that he had sidelined senior BJP leaders including former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Jaswant Singh. "He used to say that Vajpayee, Advani and Jaswant Singh did nothing and whatever is being done is done by himself," Rahul said. "Advani was out and Adani (Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Industries) is in. That is what he has done," Rahul remarked, pointing out that 45,000 acres of land was given to the industrialist. Puncturing the Gujarat model of development, Rahul said that 40 per cent of the state`s population does not get drinking water, that every second person is hungry, while Modi has already forgotten SCs and STs of the state. He said that the Congress believed in uniting people, while the BJP believed in dividing them. Citing achivements of the UPA government, he said in the last 10 years, 15 crore people were taken out of poverty and soon, nearly 70 crore people would make it to the middle class.