On a day Narendra Modi attacked UPA government for its "mis-governance", Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi hit back accusing BJP of hatching conspiracies before elections and misleading people in its hunger for power.
Modi, addressing an audience in the US through video conference, claimed that the UPA was "running away" from giving its performance report of nine years, but Gandhi said her government had empowered people through various measures like RTI, food security and land acquisition while the BJP had nothing to show.
"UPA government empowered people with Right to Information, Right to Education, MGNREGA, and recently gave food security to people and also introduced new land acquisition act in the interest of farmers," she said.
"BJP, on the other hand, misleads people and points fingers at the works of Congress governments. Why did they not do such work...Who has stopped them from taking such decisions and empowering people?", she asked.
"They are just concerned about power and hatch conspiracies before elections. You all need to remain alert from them because they mislead people," the UPA chairperson said at a public meeting in Rupaheli, a remote area of Bhilwara district.
After unveiling plaques for foundation stone of a Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) coach factory and drinking water project, Gandhi heaped praise on Manmohan Singh government, saying it has started a new era of empowering people.
Earlier, after the stone laying ceremony of a Rs37,230-crore refinery and petrochemical complex at Pachpadara in Barmer district, the Congress chief stressed that communal peace and harmony has to be maintained for the country's overall development.
She said the country's secular ethos require that all communities move forward shoulder-to-shoulder on the path of development
"When your own government ensures an environment of peace and harmony, there is development in every direction, then only there is prosperity.
"Every section of society should move forward together... shoulder-to-shoulder. This is India's secular culture.... And foundation of governance," Gandhi said.
