AHMEDABAD, Dec 10:
In a veiled attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tiwari today alleged that the state BJP government has created “crony capitalists,” not the ‘new middle class’ as it has been claimed.
“In its manifesto BJP has mentioned a very interesting thing that in past 11 years it has created a ‘new middle class’ in Gujarat…But in reality in past 11 years BJP has created a special class that is a new cult of ‘crony capitalists’ in the state,” Tiwari told mediapersons at Congress headquarters here.
“BJP has given a new meaning to ‘crony capitalism’ by giving benefits of lakhs of crores of rupees to ‘friendly industrialists’ in the name of industrialisation,” he alleged.
When asked about Modi’s allegations yesterday in connection with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s charge that minorities were feeling “insecure” in BJP-ruled Gujarat, Tiwari said, “The Chief Minister of Gujarat probably doesn’t know how to read the speech of Prime Minister. If he had carefully paid attention to PM’s speech he would have known that PM had talked about all the people of Gujarat.”
“In the penultimate para of his speech PM has clearly said that if people of Gujarat will elect Congress government we will bring such a positive atmosphere in Gujarat where people of every section of the society can grow, develop and live with pride,” Tiwari added.
“The PM very clearly, very explicitly articulated what was the very important view point. That was, that if the people of Gujarat with their wisdom give the mandate to the Congress, we will strive to build a prosperous Gujarat, a vibrant Gujarat which works for the people of Gujarat and not for some crony capitalists,” he further said.
Singh, in his speech on Sunday in Vansda, Navsari, had alleged that people, particularly minorities were feeling insecure in gujarat.
Modi had taken a dig at PM by raising the issue of violence against the minorities in Assam, from where Singh has been elected to Rajya Sabha.
Tiwari also raised some questions which he claimed that the Modi-led government was under obligation to answer for the people of Gujarat.
“We want to ask the BJP government of Gujarat that if there is so much development and growth in the state in past 11 years then why there is a debt of over Rs 1,40,000 crore on the state?” he asked.
He further posed that, “People of the state should ask the government that why each person of the state is carrying Rs 22,224 debt on him?”
Raising the issue of Gujarat ranking 8th in Human Development Index, the Union Minister asked, “Why the state has not been implementing Right to Education Act?”
“It is very unfortunate that students in rural areas of the state are not even able to read a full sentence in English…Why anaemia is so high among women that Gujarat ranks as low as 17th compared to other states in the National Health Index?” he asked.
“There is so much talk about vibrant Gujarat and hypothetical figures have been thrown to substantiate the claims of development in the state. Then why in relation to per capita income Gujarat ranks 8th…And 5th in GDP?” he alleged.
“Why, a party, which is screaming of corruption all over the nation, has not bothered to appoint Lokayukta in Gujarat?” he further asked and added that, “is this because it can reveal the corruption of its ‘crony capitalism’?”
“The definition of Rajdharma is the welfare of the people. The definition of Rajdharma certainly is not the welfare of the capitalists and oligarchists,” he said.
He also appealed to the people to think of a “decisive change” in the state.
On the question of Modi’s allegations that Congress could not even decide its Chief Ministerial candidate, Tiwari said, “When in 2008 BJP fought elections of Delhi, did they announce their CM candidate? Did they have a CM candidate for Chhattisgarh Assembly elections in 2003?”
The Minister was here to campaign for the state Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in two phases on December 13 and 17. (PTI)
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