01-15-2008, 10:34 AM
<b>Modi pitches for inclusive growth</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->He said that during the period of 1857-1947, "scores of Indans fighting for independence fought, died or were jailed, an effort which was limited only to individuals. But it was Mahatma Gandhi who turned the struggle into a mass movement that won us independence".
"This was Gandhiji's greatest contribution to India's freedom struggle," Modi said.
...........
He also made a veiled reference to his Tamil Nadu counterpart M Karunanidhi's poll promise of free colour televisions and said Congress too had made a similar promise during the recent assembly elections in Gujarat but it fell flat.
<b>"When the media sought my reaction to Congress' promise, I said I will serve notice on people who had failed to pay their tax. The people of Gujarat only elected a man who would serve notice on them. For, from where else can I mobilise the money for the development of the poor?" he said.
"The voters there (in Gujarat) were a matured lot who were not impressed with free CTVs," Modi said while ridiculing the "media sessions discussing if something was wrong with the people of Gujarat" to have voted him back to power.
Recalling the controversy over the US denying him a visa post-Godhra, Modi said he had then "vowed to create hundreds of Americas inside Gujarat and make the Americans visit the state and seek visa to visit my state,"</b> Modi said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
"This was Gandhiji's greatest contribution to India's freedom struggle," Modi said.
...........
He also made a veiled reference to his Tamil Nadu counterpart M Karunanidhi's poll promise of free colour televisions and said Congress too had made a similar promise during the recent assembly elections in Gujarat but it fell flat.
<b>"When the media sought my reaction to Congress' promise, I said I will serve notice on people who had failed to pay their tax. The people of Gujarat only elected a man who would serve notice on them. For, from where else can I mobilise the money for the development of the poor?" he said.
"The voters there (in Gujarat) were a matured lot who were not impressed with free CTVs," Modi said while ridiculing the "media sessions discussing if something was wrong with the people of Gujarat" to have voted him back to power.
Recalling the controversy over the US denying him a visa post-Godhra, Modi said he had then "vowed to create hundreds of Americas inside Gujarat and make the Americans visit the state and seek visa to visit my state,"</b> Modi said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->