We are ahead; Modi’s lying, says Deshmukh
An ongoing war of words between Gujarat and Maharashtra found its echo in election-bound neighbouring state when Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Friday claimed that his state is ahead of Gujarat, and Narendra Modi is “spreading lie...
By TNN |
MUMBAI:: An ongoing war of words between Gujarat and Maharashtra found its echo in election-bound neighbouring state when Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Friday claimed that his state is ahead of Gujarat, and Narendra Modi is “spreading lies” about his state’s prowess in agriculture and industry.
Addressing election rallies in Gujarat, Mr Deshmukh also took a dig at BJP president Rajnath Singh for claiming that the BJP-ruled state is free of farmer suicides. “BJP leaders are misguiding the people of Gujarat by spreading lies,” he said.
He was referring to Mr Singh’s claim that while 1,463 farmers had committed suicide in Congress-ruled Maharashtra in the past one year, no such case has been reported from the BJP-ruled Gujarat. “Modi government’s farm policy is far better than that of Maharashtra,” Mr Singh had said.
Contesting the claim, Maharashtra chief minister pointed out that close to 500 farmers had committed suicide in Gujarat. He backed it up by referring to Mr Modi’s admission in the Assembly that several peasants in the state have ended their lives.
“If Gujarat has really achieved development on the farm front, then why 50% of cotton farmers were reeling under debt in North Gujarat?” Mr Deshmukh asked. He also put the Gujarat government in the dock for “denying adequate power supply to farmers to run their tubewells and water connections for irrigation purposes”.
The Modi-led BJP government was handcuffing farmers for using power for irrigation purposes, he alleged.
According to Mr Deshmukh, 48 lakh farmers of Gujarat are burdened with heavy debt and per head burden in financial term was Rs 15,526. He went on to say that the Gujarat government has not offered any land to 35 lakh marginal farmers and 55 lakh farm labourers. But on the other hand, it has handed over 45 lakh hectares to industrialists in the state. The BJP's idea of development, Mr Deshmukh said, was meant only for progress of a chosen few.
Showcasing his own trackrecord as CM, Mr Deshmukh claimed that Maharashtra was on the top of the list attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). “Maharashtra has attracted FDIs of Rs 51,355 crore while Gujarat stood at number 6 in the list with Rs 13,498 crore, much behind Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu,” he reeled off some statistics to prove his point.
Addressing election rallies in Gujarat, Mr Deshmukh also took a dig at BJP president Rajnath Singh for claiming that the BJP-ruled state is free of farmer suicides. “BJP leaders are misguiding the people of Gujarat by spreading lies,” he said.
He was referring to Mr Singh’s claim that while 1,463 farmers had committed suicide in Congress-ruled Maharashtra in the past one year, no such case has been reported from the BJP-ruled Gujarat. “Modi government’s farm policy is far better than that of Maharashtra,” Mr Singh had said.
Contesting the claim, Maharashtra chief minister pointed out that close to 500 farmers had committed suicide in Gujarat. He backed it up by referring to Mr Modi’s admission in the Assembly that several peasants in the state have ended their lives.
“If Gujarat has really achieved development on the farm front, then why 50% of cotton farmers were reeling under debt in North Gujarat?” Mr Deshmukh asked. He also put the Gujarat government in the dock for “denying adequate power supply to farmers to run their tubewells and water connections for irrigation purposes”.
The Modi-led BJP government was handcuffing farmers for using power for irrigation purposes, he alleged.
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According to Mr Deshmukh, 48 lakh farmers of Gujarat are burdened with heavy debt and per head burden in financial term was Rs 15,526. He went on to say that the Gujarat government has not offered any land to 35 lakh marginal farmers and 55 lakh farm labourers. But on the other hand, it has handed over 45 lakh hectares to industrialists in the state. The BJP's idea of development, Mr Deshmukh said, was meant only for progress of a chosen few.
Showcasing his own trackrecord as CM, Mr Deshmukh claimed that Maharashtra was on the top of the list attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). “Maharashtra has attracted FDIs of Rs 51,355 crore while Gujarat stood at number 6 in the list with Rs 13,498 crore, much behind Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu,” he reeled off some statistics to prove his point.
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