LK Advani heaps praise on Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad, Sep 17: Praising Chief Minister Narendra Modi for Gujarat's development, Senior BJP leader L K Advani today (Sept 17) said if the whole country adopted a policy of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism and corruption like him, India would rise to new heights at the global level.

"In Gujarat, there is good administration and there is zero tolerance towards corruption and terrorism. If this policy is adopted across the country, then India would rise to new heights," Advani said at Modi's three-day fast for ''peace, unity and communal harmony''.

Crediting Modi for taking the state to new heights of development, he said, "Whatever he (Modi) has said about the rise of six crore Gujaratis, he is telling you the right thing. No other province could manage a growth rate of 11 per cent like Gujarat."

Commenting on Modi's speech at his fast venue, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "In the next few months, each and every word of what Modi has said would be analysed." He said on the one hand, Gujarat has a government which is taking the state to "new heights" and on the other hand, you have a "worrisome situation" over the atmosphere of "corruption and despair" at the central level.

"On one side, we have a leaderless government at the Centre whereas on the other, we have a government in Gujarat, which is helping the state to reach new heights... On one side, we have politics of honesty and on the other side, we have politics of corruption," Jaitley claimed.

Terming Modi's fast as "historical", Jaitley said that from 2002, after facing cyclones, earthquakes and communal riots, the way Gujarat has come up on the national scene, it showcased the strength of the political leadership in the state.

Accusing the Centre of weakening the federal structure, Jaitley said during the meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) last week, all the states had said that the federal structure of the country was being weakened.

PTI