Congress avoiding discussion on development, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the opposition Congress in this election was refraining from any discussion on development.

While the discourse should be over development during elections, the Congress does not do this, Modi said, speaking at a public rally at Dudhrej in Saurashtra. "They say that Modi has to be shown his place," he added.

"Their arrogance has grown," Modi said, adding that he was a son of a simple family who did have any standing. "I am a servant of people."


Modi said the Congress had called him to be of low caste, merchant of death, worm of a gutter and now they had gone out to show him his place. "I have no standing, speak about developing Gujarat," Modi said.

Modi further said he had been swallowing insults regularly as he had to work for 1.3 billion people of the country. "I have to build a developed India and for a developed India, I have to build a developed Gujarat," he said.

Taking an indirect dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Modi said those who were removed from their position by the people of India were taking out pad yatras for position. "But the people of Gujarat will punish those who walk with their hands on the shoulders of those who kept Gujarat thirsty for four decades," he said, in an oblique reference to Gandhi's walk with activist Medha Patkar.

Reminding the people of the arid days of yesteryears, Modi appealed that this election should be a punishment for the anti-Narmada people.