Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007 ePaper |
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Atmosphere of fear in Gujarat Situation not conducive to development AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday refused to confirm if he will be the prime ministerial candidate of the Congress in the next election. Talking to journalists here, he said it was the parliamentary party to decide. He also avoided naming the party’s chief ministerial candidate for Gujarat. “The Congress believes in a democratic structure, and it will be for the elected representatives to choose their leader.” Mid-term pollDeclining to hazard any guess on the possibility of a mid-term Parliamentary election, he said: “We will cross the bridge when we come to it.” Dr. Singh said an “atmosphere of fear” prevailed in Gujarat, and it was “not conducive” for development and progress. He disagreed with Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s contention that all credit for the progress in the State should go to the Bharatiya Janata Party. “The Centre was giving a lot of help to the State. The seeds of development were sown in the State in the 1960s and 1970s when the Congress was in power. On the contrary, the type of atmosphere that prevailed in the State during the Modi era is not conducive for progress and development.” Against personal attacksDr. Singh said he was not in favour of making personal attacks even during elections. “At the election meetings in Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara and Ahmedabad I avoided any personal attack on anyone.” He declined to comment on Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat’s warning of a mid-term poll. He pointed out that the government went to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for negotiations “in consultation” with the Left parties, and the process was on. “We will think about the next step after the first process is completed.” Dr. Singh promised to investigate alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. The United Progressive Alliance government was committed to protecting human rights everywhere. If any violations happened in Jammu and Kashmir, “we must investigate [them].” The Prime Minister rounded up his election campaign with a call to the voters to “remove” the Modi administration and return the Congress to power to build up an atmosphere that would be conducive for fast progress and development with both the Centre and the State marching forward “shoulder-to-shoulder.” Dr. Singh criticised the Modi government “for misleading the people about the Centre’s alleged step-motherly attitude.” The 9 per cent rate of growth achieved by the country since the UPA government came to power had increased the tax revenues of both the Centre and State governments. It was benefiting the entire country, and the non-Congress ruled States such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Orissa had benefited more than the Congress-ruled ones.
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Miscellaneous |
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