The Congress Monday countered Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks against the UPA government, saying "he should first improve his state before lecturing the centre on development indicators".
"He (Modi) has no moral authority to criticize the central government when he has failed in his state as chief minister," Congress general secretary Ajay Maken told reporters while responding to the charges made by Modi in Pune Sunday.
"He has no right to create a false impression," said Modi.
Modi Sunday accused the Congress of failing to address poverty in its long rule and using a "veil of secularism" to cover its failures.
He also questioned the outcome of the food bill, and also hit out at the UPA government over the falling value of rupee, its claims of enacting rights-based legislation, saying people needed action, not acts.
Providing details of the various development indicators achieved during the nine years of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule, Maken said the state of Gujarat under Modi does not match up to them.
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"We need to reply to his charges which are based on wrong facts," said Maken who added: "We want our success story to be told to people."
According to Maken, the UPA scored better than the BJP-ruled National Democratic Alliance on most counts including education, health, sports and economic growth.