Kalol (Gujarat): Lashing out at Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday charged that Central funds were misused by the Gujarat government to harp on false development claims and “fake image building”.
Without taking Modi’s name, Sonia, while addressing a poll rally in Kalol town of Gandhinagar district, said, “Our UPA government for agriculture development, water harvesting…and for other such type of schemes has made large funds available to them…which is the right of Gujarat also”.
“But, those funds are mis-utilised here to trumpet false claims of development and for your fake image building,” Gandhi said targeting Modi. She said UPA government provided 50 per cent more funds to Gujarat than the BJP-led NDA government. “To benefit some special people and businessmen, all these schemes were used for them. Common man is not getting any benefit,” the Congress leader alleged.
She also alleged that the issue of Sir Creek was being raised for “political interest” and asserted that her government will not allow anyone to play with the unity of nation at any cost.
Sonia was responding to charge of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sir Creek. Modi had alleged in his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two days back that a decision of handing over Sir Creek was likely to be taken by the Centre soon, and he as a common man was concerned about its security ramifications.
The PMO had strongly rebutted the charge by saying the allegations were “baseless” and “mischievous.”
Modi has been raising the issue of Sir Creek in each public meeting that he has been addressing in the state in the last two days.
“They are trying to incite the people by taking up the issue of borders of our country, national unity and intergrity…which is also against our party…whose leaders like Indira Gandhiji and Rajiv Gandhiji, for national unity and integrity had laid down their lives,” Sonia said. (PTI)