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'The PM should provide a solution'
Hitting out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his "late realisation" of the malnutrition problem in the country, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that instead of "merely making comments on the issue", the PM should provide a solution for it.
"Last week, the prime minister expressed agony and pain over the issue of malnutrition in the country and said that it was a shame for the country. But actually, it is shameful that the prime minister, who holds such a high post and is also an eminent economist, did not realise it till 2012," said Modi, while addressing the crowd after his 23rd sadbhavna fast in Godhra.
"If an academician or a professor had made such a statement, I would have understood. But he is the prime minister of the country. Merely making comments on the grave situation is not enough, the PM should do something and provide a solution," Modi said.
Modi said that he himself realised the gravity of the malnutrition problem in 2004 and started taking measures to end it in Gujarat from 2005.
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'Now, the people have to choose'
Modi also urged the people to decide whether they want vote-bank politics or all-inclusive development politics.
"In the 60 years after Independence, other political parties had adopted vote-bank politics just to gain power. They (parties) are just worried about those people who are their potential vote-bank," Modi said.
"In Gujarat, the government has gone for an all-inclusive growth in the last 15 years," Modi claimed.
"Now, the people of the country have to choose between these two political cultures. One is divide and rule through vote-bank politics and other is inclusive growth for the development of all," Modi said.
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'Development has become a central issue'
Coming down heavily on the Centre for the soaring inflation, Modi said, "Politicians, who are part of the Union government, had promised the people during their election campaign that they would tame inflation within 100 days if they came to power. However, they were not able to do so."
Modi further said, "For the first time, development has become a central issue for the nation. It is due to the Gujarat government and the work done by six crore people over the last 10 years that development has become a major issue in the country."
"Earlier, the elections used to centre around vote-bank politics, but the common man did not benefit from that. We have ended this tradition. We have adopted the sole agenda of development and achieved new heights. Gujarat has now become the benchmark for development," Modi said.
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'Godhra has a history of communal violence'
Modi further claimed that during the ongoing election campaign in Punjab, former chief minister of Punjab Captain Amrinder Singh, a Congressman, promised that if he was voted to power, he would take his state to the same heights as that of Gujarat.
Taking a dig at the Gujarat Congress, Modi said he understood the feelings of the Congress, "who have lost everything after being in power for 40 years."
"Their condition is like the severed tail of a lizard, which does not stop moving (for a while) even after it is cut off," he said.
Modi further said, "Godhra has a history of communal violence and there was a time in 1985 when there was a curfew for 300 days. But curfews and riots have vanished since the last 10 years. It is due to the atmosphere of peace, unity and brotherhood in the state, which has resulted in development," Modi said.
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