As the campaigning in Gujarat gains momentum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi challenged Congress to “a face-off” on the issue of development rather than discussing “aukat”.
“They talked about showing me my ‘aukat’…called me many names…I have no ‘aukat’,” PM Modi said referring to the Congress leaders’ criticism of him. Apparently targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, “You belong to the royal family, I hail from an ordinary family, I have no problem. I am a servant and a servant with little to do. You called me ugly, low caste, death dealer, dirty sewer worm and now you ask to show aukat.”
“I have no aukat. Let’s discuss the issue of development and make Gujarat develop. Come to the field. Let this be a face off,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a scathing attack on the Congress during a public address in the Dudhrej area of Gujarat’s Surendranagar.
In a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi for walking with Medha Patkar, PM Modi said that their leader travels by putting his hands on the shoulders of the people who made Gujarat “thirsty”.
PM Modi during his rally in Dhoraji on Sunday as well in an apparent swipe at Rahul Gandhi said that during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader walked with a woman who tried everything to derail the Narmada Project.
“You should ask them with what face are they coming to seek votes from you. They did everything to stall the Narmada project for decades together and ensured that no money including that from World Bank was able to come over to Gujarat. They were constantly maligning the reputation of Gujarat,” PM Modi said on Sunday.
Attacking the ‘padyatris’ of Bharat Jodo Yatra, PM Modi said, “People doing padayatra don’t even know how cotton and groundnut are grown.”
“80 per cent of the country’s salt is made in Gujarat. When we came, we changed the status of Agarias (salt farmers of Kutch). We have encouraged small businesses”, PM said.