At Metro event, Cong derails Narendra Modi

While addressing the gathering during the foundation laying ceremony of underground Metro in Chandpol on Saturday, the Congress leaders primarily focussed on promoting the schemes and programmes launched by both the Centre and the state government.

They also came down heavily on Gujarat’s development and Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of BJP. A sharp critic of Modi, UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal flayed the ‘development of Gujarat’ calling it a publicity stunt only.

“There (Gujarat) are four cities which have three times the population of Jaipur. They spent four years planning to run Metro, but nothing happened. Here, we did the trial run of Metro in just 2.9 years,” said Dhariwal. In his address, Union minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah laid stress on promoting use of solar energy. In the middle of his speech, he talked about communal harmony and appealed for promoting ‘brotherhood’.

“Some forces fight over the religion. All should be treated as equal for the progress of the country,” Abdullah said. The minister did not name any party or group while lambasting the ‘divisive forces’.

CM Ashok Gehlot talked about the schemes and programmes being run by the state government for the welfare of masses.

“Schemes like free medicine and pension are benefitting all sections of the society,” he said. Gehlot also spoke about the economic issues and came down heavily on the BJP-led NDA regime.

“Earlier when I was CM, the NDA was ruling at the Centre. That time, all states were battling economic crisis. Some states were mortgaging their assets and selling properties. The salaries were not paid for six to eight months. But after the UPA came to power and Manmohan Singh became country’s PM, the crisis ended due to his outstanding economy management,” Gehlot said.

In the middle of his speech, the CM also talked about the spiralling inflation. “There is inflation and we are worried. But we, under your (PM) and Sonia Gandhi’s guidance, are leaving no stone unturned in bringing the prices down,” said Gehlot.