Modi's investment claims are an election gimmick: Modhwadia

Ahmedabad, Jan 13 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Legislative Assembly Arjun Modhwadia today described Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2007 as an ''election gimmick'' with an eye on the forthcoming assembly polls the state.

In a statement here, Mr Modhwadia alleged that the Modi Government's claim of attracting investments worth Rs 251,000 crore on the first day of the two-day summit was a ''numerical trick'' intended to cheat the people of Gujarat.

The Congress leader alleged that the projected figure of Rs 251,000 crore includes MoUs signed during the previous investors summits as well.

Mr Modhwadia said Mr Modi's claims were intended at painting a false rosy picture about investment potential in Gujarat. In the past, only a few MoUs had translated into reality, Mr Modhwadia alleged.

He alleged that although the Gujarat Government had claimed to have attracted a total of Rs 175,000 crore of investments during the three earlier summits commencing 2003, only Rs 27,000 crore worth of projects had actually been started.

The Congress leader alleged that Mr Modi had prevailed upon several industrial houses, including the Reliance Group, to announce the future investments, they had already planned in Gujarat, during the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat event.

UNI