Congress in foreign hands, says Modi

Chief minister Narendra Modi continued his tirade against the Congress party and its president Sonia Gandhi on Friday.

Speaking at his first election rally in Vyara taluka of Surat district since the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, Modi said the Congress leadership is in foreign hands.

"During the independence struggle, the Congress took the lead in driving foreigners out of the country. But now the party's leadership is in foreign hands," Modi said, and appealed to the people not to hand over the country to a foreigner.

Lashing out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Modi said if she considered herself an Indian, why did she not apply for Indian citizenship even 20 years after her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi. He challenged Sonia to sing `Vande Mataram' without any help.

The chief minister also criticised the five Congress MPs from the state. He said the Congress MPs, instead of condemning the Godhra train carnage, did everything in their power to bring a bad name to Gujarat and defame it on the world-level.

Modi also ridiculed the Congress leaders for rushing to the Election Commission on the smallest of issues. "From the manner they (the Congress leaders) approach the EC to complain against me and other BJP leaders over our statements, it seems they do not have any other important issues to raise," Modi said.

Modi also addressed election rallies in Unai, Pardi and Rajpardi later in the day. Modi was accompanied by BJP candidate from Mandvi LS seat Mansinh Patel and Gujarat water resources minister Narottam Patel.