By IANS,
Patna : Using Sonia Gandhi’s “Maut ka Saudagar” (Merchant of Death) barb against her, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday attacked the Congress president over her “silence” on the Bhopal verdict, and charged the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with failing to check Maoist violence and rising prices.
Addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally at the conclusion of the party’s national executive meeting here, Modi referred to Sonia Gandhi as “Madam Sonia” and wondered why she had not spoken on the Bhopal verdict.
“Why are you quiet on Bhopal, Madam Sonia? The country wants to know who was the Maut ka Saudagar in Bhopal,” he said.
“Speak up. Break your silence. The country wants to know what happened in Bhopal,” Modi added.
The “Maut ka Saudagar” barb was used by Sonia Gandhi in reference to Modi during her campaign for the Gujarat assembly polls in 2007. It referred to the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat in which over 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed.
The BJP has attacked the Congress over the release of Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson, an accused in the Bhopal gas leak case, saying the party should seek forgiveness from people on the issue. The Congress was in power in Madhya Pradesh and at the centre when the gas tragedy took place in Bhopal in 1984, killing and maiming thousands.
In his nearly 30-minute speech, Modi also attacked the Sonia Gandhi and the UPA government over the price rise. He said the rise in prices of essential commodities had made life difficult for common people but the leader of UPA was keeping quiet.
Modi, who came under attack from Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar over an advertisement which referred to the relief work done by the Gujarat government in the state, said the BJP’s politics and its mantra was development.
He also spoke of the development strides made by Gujarat and thanked the people of Bihar for “showering affection” on him.
Ignoring Nitish Kumar, the Gujarat chief minister praised BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi for the development strides made by the state under the National Democratic Alliance government. He steered clear of the controversy over the advertisement featuring him and Nitish Kumar.
Modi also charged the UPA with not doing enough to contain Maoist violence.
“The centre is not taking any tough action against Maoists,” he said, adding that some people in the ruling party see it only as a socio-economic problem.
“The socio-economic condition suitable for growth of Maoists was created by the Congress party that ruled the country for over 50 years,” he said.