‘THEY WORKED WITH BRITISH FOR SEVERAL YEARS’

Ahmedabad: PM Narendra Modi on Friday accused Congress of disowning Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and said it absorbed a “slave mentality” after working with the British prior to Independence. He was speaking at a campaign rally at Sojitra town in Gujarat’s Anand district where voting will take place in the second phase of the state Assembly elections on December 5. The Congress’s “policy” of inciting one community, caste or religion against another weakened Gujarat, Modi said. “The Congress has a problem not only with Sardar Patel but also with the unity of India because their politics is based on the policy of divide and rule while Patel believed in uniting everyone. Due to this stark difference, Congress never considered Sardar Patel as their own,” the PM said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Congress alleging tampering of Electronic Voting Machines is an indication that it has already accepted defeat in the Gujarat Assembly elections. Voting for 89 seats in the first phase of the Gujarat elections took place on Thursday. “The way Congress has started blaming EVMs after yesterday's voting in Kutch, Saurashtra and south Gujarat, it is evident the opposition party has conceded defeat and has accepted that the BJP will win the election. Alleging EVM tampering is an indication the Congress is on its way out,” said Modi. He was speaking at a rally in Patan where voting will be held along with remaining 92 seats on December 5. “The Congress knows only two things, abuse Modi ahead of polls to please the voters and then blame EVMs after voting. This proves the Congress has accepted defeat,” he said. He also slammed past Congress governments for ‘widening' the rift between the rich and the poor in the country and “looting” the funds meant for the welfare of the poor.