Congress takes a dig at Narendra Modi for praising China

NEW DELHI: Taking a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for praising China, Congress today said it appeared he wanted to introduce the same laws in India as in the communist country.

The party also questioned the veracity of the data cited by Modi on the neighbouring country's expenditure on education and accused him of taking the Indian people for a ride.

Modi in his address to students at Fergusson College in Pune said "China spends 20 per cent of its GDP on education whereas we in India having decided on spending 7 per cent of our GDP actually spending only 4 per cent on education."

Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi, however, said, "I am unaware from where he (Modi) got this data that China spends 20 per cent of its GDP on education. The common man does not collate data. That does not mean you will take people for a ride."

Alvi said that China and India are poles apart. "I feel Narendra Modi wants to introduce in India the same laws operating in China. It is a democratic country. We have democracy. We are far ahead of many countries of the world in education and are further marching ahead," he said.