Chief Minister Narendra Modi's frequent claim of steering the Gujarat 'Model of Development' drew derision today from both his key ally JD(U) and arch rival Congress.
In a jibe at the BJP strongman, JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said many people accept it as development even when a developed state grows and stressed there is a need to see from where did a particular state start its development march.
"Many people will accept it as development even when a developed state is growing. We have been backward. If we develop, it is to be discussed. Bihar has its own story of development. It has its own topography. From where will we get the seashore," he said at a JD(U) meeting in Delhi without taking names.
Slamming Modi for his claims about development, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh alleged that despite all talk of progress, the fact is that every citizen of Gujarat is burdened with debt of Rs 26,000.
"When Modi became Gujarat Chief Minister for the first time, the state had a loan burden of Rs 46,000 crore, but today it has risen to Rs 1.72 lakh crore, which means each and every individual in the state is indebted by a loan burden of Rs 26,000," he told reporters in Shajapur in Madhya Pradesh. Modi has remained Chief Minister since 2001.
Singh said this data exposed all of Modi's claims about development of Gujarat.
He said that in "developed" Gujarat there is a wide difference between men and women in terms of social equality and Dalits have been prevented many times from bringing water from rivers, even recently.
Echoing Singh's views, fellow party General Secretary B K Hariprasd dismissed the claim made by the BJP leaders that Modi has ensured all round development of Gujarat under his leadership.
"Gujarat was never been lagging behind. It has been always ahead for long as far as development is concerned. Business and commerce acumen is always there in the blood of Gujaratis and they are not dependent on any government for their development," Hariprasad told reporters in Indore.
"Ambanis and Tatas have established their industrial units in Gujarat and no Chief Minister can take credit of development of Gujarat all of a sudden," he said.
Another Congress leader and Union Minister Rajiv Shukla took a dig at Modi for "beating his own drum" about the developments in Gujarat and spending money on "propaganda" when other chief ministers are performing better than him.
