Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI) The Congress in Maharashtra on Friday sought to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that no development took place in the country under governments headed by the grand old party and called such a viewpoint false and politically motivated.
In a statement here, state Congress president Nana Patole said successive Congress governments did “magnificent” work in various fields for 60 years.
His remarks came after Modi addressed an election rally in Wardha in the Vidarbha region and criticised the Congress on various issues.
The PM said at the rally, “Before 2014, there was a perception that nothing good can happen in the country. There was despair all around, especially among the poor, farmers, women. A poor man’s son (referring to himself) has worshipped those who had been left out (of development) race. Now, the country is filled with self-confidence.” Patole said the Congress took forward the agenda of development whenever it was in power.
“This (no development under Congress rule argument) is completely false and politically motivated. In fact, it was Congress governments that did magnificent development work in various fields for 60 years,” said Patole.
The public sector was put on a strong footing under the Congress rule, Patole asserted.
“It were Congress governments that set up public sector institutions. State-run institutions sold in the last 10 years (under BJP-led NDA’s rule) were established by Congress governments. Modi’s statement that everything happened in the country after 2014 was misleading,” he said.
In his speech, Modi made baseless accusations against the Congress, party MP Rahul Gandhi and the opposition INDIA alliance, Patole said.
The BJP, which “insults” Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, (social reformers) Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, has no right to take the name of these luminaries. Shivaji Maharaj’s name is being taken only to seek votes, he maintained.
In December 2016, ‘jal pujan’ (water worship) ceremony was held in Mumbai to build a grand memorial of Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea, but till date not a single brick of the structure has been laid, said the Congress MLA.
“There is a feeling among people of being cheated by Modi. No matter how much the Prime Minister emphasises on the Modi guarantee, people do not believe in it,” Patole added. PTI MR RSY
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