Congress hits out at Modi, cites factual inaccuracies

Maken today took Narendra Modi to task citing figures of literacy rate in Gujarat under Modi

A day after BJP campaign chief and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi went all out against the Congress led UPA attacking it for failing on social development indices and then “hiding behind the ‘burqa’ (veil) of secularism”, the Congress lashed out against Modi accusing him of “factual inaccuracies” and false propaganda. Communications department chief Ajay Maken addressing reporters today said, "The burqa of secularism is much better than naked communalism. While communalism divides, securalism binds.”

Hauling up the Modi-led Gujarat government and the NDA rule on the basis of facts and figures, the Congress today sent out a stern message – should Modi spread ‘disinformation’ as the principal Opposition party’s campaign chief, the Congress will hit back.

Maken today took Narendra Modi to task citing figures of the literacy rate in Gujarat under Modi, the number of IITs and IIMs that had been set up during UPA versus NDA rule, the health indicators and the malnutrion figures of Gujarat as compared to the national figures etc.

Explaining as to why the Congress decided to hit out against Modi, which in a way was a departure from its earlier stance of not taking Modi’s comments seriously; Maken said, "We will have to respond if the Chairman of the campaign committee of the BJP resorts to disinformation campaign and makes factually incorrect statements.”     

A senior Congress leader speaking to Business Standard explained, “We have refrained from mentioning the 2002 Gujarat riots because that tends to play into Modi’s hands. But we will not keep quiet when he attacks on the development plank. That is something we shall hit back on for sure.”

In the past, Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s comment on Modi as “Maut ka saudaagar” had backfired on the Congress polarizing the polity and working to Modi’s advantage.

Modi had slammed the UPA government yesterday, over the scam-tainted CWG games. As the former union Sports minister Maken hit back saying, while Modi questions why the country is lagging behind in Sports, the performance of Gujarat, where Modi is Chief Minister from 2002, has been poor in Olympics.

“Of the 83, who qualified for the Olympics, how many were from Gujarat. We won six gold medals of which four were won by sportspersons from Haryana (Congress-ruled). In 2011, there were Jharkhand national games. Of the 444 gold medals, Gujarat got nil.     

“Modi is Chief Minister there since 2002. What did he do for Gujarat in the last 11 years. I want to ask him what he has done for Gujarat that he keeps touring the country and lecturing the youths," Maken said.

Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari too hit out at Modi saying, "The BJP stands in splendid isolation. They feel that the only way forth is to try and polarise this country. And obviously they want to polarise it on communal lines".