Date:03/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/03/stories/2007110358890300.htm

New Delhi

Congress will expose Modi, says Sibal

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Congress has asked the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday to question Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the Tehelka sting operation on post-Godhra riots in 2002.

“We want the BJP as a party to tell Mr. Modi that it was opposed to what has been revealed,” senior Congress leader and convenor of the Gujarat Media Committee Kapil Sibal said here on Thursday.

Questioning the development plank in Mr. Modi’s campaign for the December Assembly elections, Mr. Sibal said the Congress would expose his “lies”—“Modi ke Jhooth” will be our slogan, just as we had Mulayam ki Loot [Mulayam Singh’s corruption] in Uttar Pradesh.”

Asked about Railway Minister Lalu Prasad’s demand for the arrest of Mr. Modi in the wake of the expose, Mr Sibal said: “Within the ambit of law whatever has to happen will happen. The law enforcement agencies should take steps and Modi should say that whoever is involved will be brought to book.”

Did he expect Mr. Modi to do so? “It is not my expectation. It is the expectation of the law. Modi will go out of power in December 2007, then things will happen,” he said.

Mr Sibal, who was accompanied by Mohan Prakash of the Media Cell, said it was “all lies” to say that there was development during Mr. Modi’s rule.

The number of engineering colleges and medical colleges in Gujarat was lower than in other States and the school dropout rate in class I was high. He alleged that 300 farmers had committed suicide in 2006 and there were 6000 FIRs that said the “[cause of] farmer’s death [was] unknown.” Besides, no forest land was distributed to tribals during his rule.

Questioning Mr. Modi’s “democratic credentials,” the Minister for Science and Technology alleged that no Lok Ayukta had been appointed in the State since 2003. The Deputy Speaker’s post was lying vacant since December 2002.

The State Human Rights Commission and the Law Commission had chairpersons but no members.

Mr. Sibal said even in the Sardar Sarovar Project, water had not reached Saurastra and the target consumers because no canals had been built. “Water reached where there was water.”

To a question on the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Commerce Minister Kamal Nath praising the Gujarat Government for “development and the investments it attracted,” Mr. Sibal said: “Yes, big industry was given land and their turnover was up. But for the aam admi the picture is different.”