‘Why should Guj pay for Modi’s mess, popularity’

IN HIS FIRST QUESTION AHEAD OF THE DECEMBER 9 AND 14 POLLS, GANDHI SOUGHT ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE RULING BJP FOR ITS PROMISES

NEWDELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking “why the people of Gujarat should pay the price for his financial mismanagement and publicity.”

Gandhi on Wednesday started a “one question a day” series on Twitter asking questions to Modi and the BJP about the promises they made in the 2012 assembly elections in Gujarat.

“My second question to Prime Minister on the state of affairs in Gujarat. In 1995, total debt on Gujarat was ~9,183 crore. In 2017, the total debt on Gujarat was ~2.41 lakh crore. That means a debt of ~37,000 on every Gujarati. Why should the people of Gujarat pay up the price for your financial mismanagement and publicity?” Gandhi asked.

In his first question ahead of the December 9 and 14 polls, Gandhi sought accountability from the ruling BJP for its promises.

“22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule,” he had tweeted on Wednesday.

He also asked Modi whether it would take 45 more years for his party to provide new houses to Gujaratis, as the BJP government had provided only 4.72 lakh houses in the past five years against the promised 50 lakh.

He also responded to the controversy over his signature at a

temple, saying he was not someone who would use his religion for political gains.

“We keep such things (religious beliefs) private. It is a very personal matter and we don’t need anyone else’s certificate. We don’t want to do ‘dalali’ over it, (or) use it for political purposes,” Gandhi said.