Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi will be the target of attack when state Congress leaders meet President Pratibha Patil on Friday seeking her intervention in the wake of the alleged corruption of `1 lakh crore during his tenure.
“The Niira Radia culture in Gujarat started after Narendra Modi became chief minister. The total corruption in his regime is more than `1 lakh crore,” Gujarat PCC chief Arjunbhai Modvadia and state CLP leader Shaktisinh Gohil said.
Asked as to what relief they were seeking and whether it included dismissal of the government, they said it was for the President to take action as she deemed fit. They recalled that Mr Modi’s dispensation might be the only government which had been issued a direction under Article 355 of the Constitution by the President during the NDA rule.
Article 355 states, “It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance.”
Mr Modi’s tenure, they alleged, has caused havoc to the economy as the state has incurred a huge debt of `1,17,000 crores. They claimed that the Tatas were given a soft loan of over `9,000 crores by Mr Modi for bringing Nano plant to the state.
The two Gujarat leaders said the gloss and glitter in the state seen from outside was an illusion as the Modi regime has seen the state going down the hill on many development indices. The CAG has also been sharply critical of his government in a report.
They claimed that the recent Congress victory in Gandhinagar civic polls will be a turning point in state politics ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled next year as the projection of “vibrant Gujarat” has been dented by a series of scams and people are “fed up” with the Modi rule.