BJP rebel and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that Modi holds “monopoly over lying” .
Terming Modi’s Sadbhavna Mission as a personal poll gimmick, and making an oblique reference to his role in post Godhra riots, Patel questioned, “If Modi’s new-found ‘Sadbhavna’ (goodwill) was for the common people, he would have displayed it earlier when there was a need.”
He was addressing a public meeting organised by Gujarat unit of Sampurna Vyavastha Parivartan Manch at Town Hall on Sunday.
Addressing Modi as “Mahaakshash”, “Gappidas”, and “Praja Bhakshak”, he claimed, “One person has a monopoly over lying to people and misguiding them and you know this person very well.”
Referring to Modi’s claims of bringing Narmada water as lie, Patel mentioned that it was only after he met former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and made a request that Vajpayee gave an approval for raising the height of dam. Terming Modi government as government for the industrialists, which ignored the interest of farmers, Patel alleged that in the past eight years it gave away village grazing lands to industries and 6,000 farmers have committed suicides during this period.
Alleging widespread corruption and use of black money, Keshubhai said that “unless we change the present administration there are chances of social break-down in the state”.
Another former chief minister Suresh Mehta who was also present during the function mentioned that Modi has a policy of keeping people involved in festivals so that they don’t get time to see “the deteriorating governance. Referring to a recent survey about number of poor families, he mentioned that survey has shown there are 6 lakh families which have come under Below Poverty Line.
For the last few months, Patel, a former chief minister, has come out openly against Modi. He has refused to renew his active membership of BJP, and is planning to form a third front for the coming Assembly elections.
