Fear psychosis in Gujarat, says PM

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Surat, Dec 7 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said a fear psychosis is being generated in Gujarat which is disastrous not just for the state, but for the entire nation.

Addressing a public rally, the Prime Minister said an atmosphere of fear in the state is dangerous for the country. In the land of the Mahatma, those who believed in violence wanted to come back to power, he added.

Challenging Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's claims about carrying out development in the state, Dr Singh said the development of the state had been undertaken with the help of Central Government.

''We want to change the face of Gujarat villages, make them models for developments. Sardar Sarovar Project has been completed with the help of the Central government,'' the Prime Minister said.

''On the education front, Gujarat is still lagging behind.

One-third of the people are still uneducated. Apart from villages, even urban centres need to develop,'' he added.

Dr Singh said Gujarat needed a change of government and could do without the present regime.

Referring to Mr Modi's remark that the Centre had meted step-motherly treatment to the state with respect of financial allocation, he said this was far from truth. All non-Congress ruled states be it Bihar, UP or Gujarat were being treated equally without any discrimination. ''Instead, much of the development came in the state due to UPA government,'' Dr Singh added.

On the nuclear deal impasse, he said since the UPA was a coalition government there were problems. However, the deal was good for the country. It would also help develop the country, he added.

Talking about the buoyant economy, the Prime Minister said the country was seeing a nine per cent growth while the growth rate in Gujarat, which had the potential to be a number one state, was far less. ''It is not developing as it should be,'' Dr Singh said.

On the appreciating Rupee, he said this was a cause for concern.

The finance minister was seized of the matter and the exporters concerned were being taken into account.

Hitting back at the BJP for accusing the Congress of being anti-Hindu, he said it was a measure of the ''fear and uncertain future'' faced by the Saffron party. Taking BJP head on, he said it was ''not a good sign'' for any political party to divide the country on communal lines. ''Congress has a history of 120 years.

The party is a gift of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhai Patel. I think to accuse the Congress of any communal bias is an insult to the memory of our freedom struggle,'' he said.

That ''somebody is now trying to paint the Congress party in wrong colours, is a measure of the fear and the uncertain future that faces them,'' he added.

UNI

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