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Modi promotes corporate culture, says Congress

New Delhi/Panaji: The Congress on Sunday hit back at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that “corporate culture” was being promoted by him and the BJP even as poor diamond workers were suffering in the State.

Reacting to Mr. Modi’s statement that the Congress was “trying to puncture the Nano car project,” party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told PTI: “Modi and BJP are promoting corporate culture while the poor diamond workers are suffering in the State.”

The war of words began after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi charged the Gujarat government with doling out incentives worth crores of rupees to Tata’s Nano project while neglecting diamond workers. “What Rahulji has said is right ... We are not against the Nano car project but at the same time, the Gujarat government is duty-bound to protect the interests of the suffering diamond workers,” Mr.Ahmed said.

Another party spokesman Manish Tewari alleged that Mr. Modi’s neglect of diamond workers reflected his “utter insensitivity” to their plight and claimed that the workers were being forced to commit suicide because of this. “The CM of Gujarat can dole out crores of concession to the big fish of corporate India but he has no time or money for the hapless workers of the diamond industry whose blood and sweat has contributed to the making of brand Gujarat internationally,” Mr. Tewari said.

Mr.Modi on Sunday, in a veiled reference to Mr. Gandhi, likened him to a “small aquarium fish” unlike leaders in the saffron party who are like “ocean fish” who can weather big storms.

The Congress quickly reacted sharply: “If Rahul is like a fish in the aquarium, then Mr. Modi is a ‘piranha’ who devoured human beings,” Mr. Tewari said in New Delhi. The remarks of Mr. Modi poking fun at Mr. Gandhi while addressing a rally at Margao, 40 km from here, came on a day when the 38-year-old AICC General Secretary began his two-day Gujarat tour, his third visit to the State in the last 20 days.

Mr. Modi said youth in the Congress were incapable of taking on challenges while the BJP’s youth wing could handle any hostile weather. “We are not small fish floating in the comfort of aquariums but we weather huge storms to win,” he said in an apparent reference to Mr. Gandhi, who is being projected as a youth icon for the coming elections.

In a veiled attack, Mr. Modi said, “We are not flowers cultivated by gardeners of the rich, we have grown up in the forests of our own.”

Mr. Modi said the “prince” was not able to salvage any pride in Gujarat panchayat elections, despite camping in the State. “In fact, Congress lost its base in Gujarat during panchayat elections. Rahul could not do anything,” he said. “Aren’t there young people living in the slums and in the homes of poor? But they are not considered young for their fathers are not rich, because their fathers were not Prime Ministers or their mothers not big people.” — PTI

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