Reported By:
| Edited By: |Source: PTI |Updated: Nov 21, 2013, 01:44 PM IST
Hindi film actress Raveena Tandon today showered praise on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi saying she was his fan and the country needs more leaders like him.
Tandon's comments came just a few days after Hindi film superstar Amitabh Bachchan had to face criticism from the Congress and left parties for becoming the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism.
"I am a big fan of Modiji," Tandon said during the launch of the eighth chapter of the women's wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (Ficci), known as the Ficci Ladies Organisation (FLO) here. The Gujarat chief minister was the chief guest.
"We need more leaders like you to run this country," Tandon said while concluding her address.
Recently, Bachchan had to face severe criticism from the Congress and the left parties over his association with Gujarat by becoming brand ambassador for the state.
The CPI-M led LDF government in Kerala backed out from appointing Bachchan as brand ambassador of Kerala Tourism following his association with the Modi-led Gujarat government.
During his address at the function held here today, Modi listed various initiatives taken by his government for women's empowerment.
He began with the steps taken by his government in the field of education, which included annual school enrolment drives in areas to ensure cent per cent enrolment of children in schools.
He also talked about how building toilets for girls in schools had brought down their dropout rate from nearly 50% to almost 2%.
The chief minister highlighted his government's programmes to curb maternal mortality, infant mortality, and malnutrition among young children.
He said his government was the first to provide fortified milk, wheat flour, and oil to poor families to improve their health.
Modi also advised the FLO to contribute to improve nutrition among women in the state.
Modi claimed that because of the state government's efforts, the sex ratio in Gujarat, which was 702 women for every 1,000 men in 2001, had improved to nearly 896 women to 1,000 men at present.
The eighth chapter of FLO will be led by Sonal Ambani who has been appointed chairperson. FLO aims to promote entrepreneurship and professional excellence among women.
