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Sonia’s remark did not refer to individual: Sibal

NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s “merchants of death” remark in Gujarat did not refer to any individual, party leader Kapil Sibal said here on Friday.

Mr. Sibal said the remark referred to how functionaries in the Modi government acted. “The Congress president did not take any names.”

Mr. Modi has held that Ms. Gandhi’s remark “provoked” him into making statements about terrorists and encounters.

Mr. Sibal, however, produced advertisements put out on November 28 and 30 by the Gujarat BJP in all local papers — before Ms. Gandhi visited Gujarat — which said that “the appointment of the Bannerjee Commission was like rubbing salt into the wound of Godhra.”

Another advertisement in Gujarat said “countrywide, there is only terrorism.”

Stating that the Congress was prepared to take on Mr. Modi on his development claims, Mr. Sibal pointed out Gujarat was one of the highest indebted States with an outstanding debt of about Rs.20,000 per person. As on March 31, the Gross Public Debt of the State was estimated at Rs.66,925.83 crore, which is 30.89 per cent of the GDP.

He said while the State had claimed signing MoUs for investments worth Rs. 1.06 trillion at the 2005 Summit, the realisation was only Rs. 130 billion.

Of a total of over Rs. 1 lakh crore worth MoU signed during 2005, only Rs. 13,170 crore so far.

“While the Chief Minister’s focus has been these summits, the small scale industries sector has suffered in that it attracted only Rs.115.20 crore in the last five years.”

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