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Silence on key issues define three years of Modi rule: Gehlot

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Press Trust of India Ahmedabad
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the third anniversary of his government, alleging that he had been silent on corruption and other key issues such as blackmoney, inflation and Lokpal.

Gehlot, recently made Congress general secretary and in- charge in Gujarat, alleged the Modi government has failed to fulfil pre-poll promises and in the last three years the prime minister has been busy giving speeches.

"The three-year BJP rule can be summed up in one line - my speech is my rule (mera bhashan hee mera shasan hai). Instead of fulfilling poll promises, he had been busy roaming around the world and giving speeches.
 

"His government has been all about unfulfilled promises and broken dreams of citizens," the former Rajasthan chief minister said.

"Modi remained silent on corruption charges levelled against many BJP-led state governments. He did not say anything about Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, PDS scam in Chhattisgarh or land scam in Gujarat when Anandiben Patel was the chief minister," Gehlot said at a press conference here.

"There is no word from him on blackmoney, formation of Lokpal or rising prices of dals. These are the issues which helped the BJP come to power at the Centre. But Modi and his ministers are now shying away from speaking about them," he said.

The press meet was attended by several key party leaders from Gujarat, including Shankersinh Vaghela and Bharatsinh Solanki.

Ahead of the press meet, Gehlot held a meeting with Vaghela in Gandhinagar and later termed as "untrue" claims by state BJP leaders that the veteran politician was unhappy with the Congress leadership.

Asked about the purported fissures in the Congress' state unit ahead of the Assembly polls later this year, he said it is good to have differences.

"See, differences will always remain in any party. In a way, this is good. It allows people to share their views. If this does not happen, how will we get new ideas?" the Congress leader said.

Gehlot alleged that the BJP is deliberately spreading "rumours" about Vaghela, a former chief minister, that he is heading towards the saffron camp.

The ruling party is doing so to weaken the main Opposition, he said, adding "BJP is intentionally spreading such lies about Vaghela. Since Vaghela had toppled the BJP-led Gujarat government in 1995, the party's leaders are still afraid of him.

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First Published: May 26 2017 | 10:42 PM IST

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