Gujarat development model a 'toffee model': Rahul Gandhi

Latur (Mah), Apr 14: In a blistering attack on

,

on Monday dubbed the

model propagated by Narendra Modi as a "toffee model", saying it has benefited only one industrialist in the state, ignoring the interests of the farmers and the poor.

He also said while the BJP talks of empowering women in its election campaign posters, its party activists along with RSS cadres beat up women going to pubs in Mangalore (Karnataka) and the Gujarat Chief Minister uses his powers and police machinery to tap the phone of a woman.

"Let me tell you about the Gujarat model. Have you heard of (L K ) Advani. Advani, Jaswant Singh have been sidelined. Now a new neta (leader) has emerged. He is Narendra Modi. Earlier, there was a partnership between Atal Bihar Vajpayee and Advani. Now there is partnership between Modi and Adani," Rahul said at an election rally here.

"Land of Aurangabad's size...45,000 acres...has been given for a mere Rs 300 crore. This is toffee model not Gujarat model. For Re 1, you get a toffee here. There land was sold at Re one per meter...it was the land of the poor and the farmers," Gandhi said.

He said a loan of Rs 10,000 crore was given to build the Nano car. The amount is more than what is spent on health and education in Gujarat. Taking a dig at BJP's campaign posters on empowering women, Gandhi said 20,000 women are "missing" in party-ruled Chhattisgarh.

PTI