Friday, December 7, 2012

Modhwadia challenges Modi for open discussion


Gujarat EDN
DNA 15SEP2012

DNA Correspondent l Ahmedabad
To counter claims of chief minister Narendra Modi alleging the central government of adopting a partial approach to the state government, Arjun Modhwadia, president, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), challenged him for an open discussion on the issue.

Speaking at a press conference at the GPCC office in Ahmedabad on Friday, Modhwadia said that they (GPCC) will provide for all logistics for the event and want the CM to fix a suitable date for the same in the next eight days. He stated that if Modi did not respond to this challenge, the GPCC will set a deadline for the open discussion.

The GPCC president accused Modi of misguiding people. During his Vivekanand Yuva Vikas Yatra, the CM alleged the central government for not providing benefits to the state government. Modhvadia countered this claim saying there is 400% price rise in the groundnut oil and there are 6,000 villages which are deprived of drinking water.

Reacting to Modi’s comment on Gujarat’s farmer being able to purchase a car every year, he said that the farmers hardly get 4-6 hours of electricity in the state. He also said that of the Rs5 increase on the diesel prices, 22% (around Rs1.20) will go to the state government as VAT. “Why can’t the state government decrease this tax?” he questioned.