Congress rewarded 'Adarsh' candidates by giving tickets: Narendra Modi

CHANDIGARH: Narendra Modi today attacked Congress for its decision to give tickets to "tainted" leaders, saying "Adarsh candidates" including Ashok Chavan and Pawan Kumar Bansal have been "rewarded".

The BJP's prime ministerial candidate hit out at the UPA, saying the government at the Centre has become a "burden" for the country and corruption has become a way of life for the ruling outfit.

Keeping the Congress and Rahul Gandhi at the centre of his nearly 45-minute speech in Hindi, Modi asked people to vote out the Congress in coming Lok Sabha polls.

Taking a veiled dig at the Congress for giving ticket to Chavan, he said "all the Adarsh candidates" including Bansal have been rewarded.

Brushing aside controversies surrounding him over Adarsh housing scam, Congress Tuesday decided to field ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan for Lok Sabha polls.

Attacking the Congress led UPA for "bad governance". "Bad governance is like diabetes which can make even a healthy human body hollow. Likewise, bad governance has the same impact on our country, making it hollow and blocking development," he said.

Addressing an election rally here this evening in favour of party candidate from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher, Modi asked the people to give BJP a chance for 60 months (next five years) as they had tried and tested the Congress for 60 years.

He launched a sharp attack on Congress nominee and former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who is seeking re-election for the fifth time and whose nephew was arrested last year in a cash-for-job scam.

Modi sought to know for what reason Bansal had been removed as railway minister and why he had been made candidate now.

Taking a jibe Bansal, Modi said, "When hurricane comes, then nobody thinks of Pawan (air). This hurricane will turn into Tsunami in next 10 years."