<b>Gujarat not a developed state: PM
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April 13th, 2009
Mumbai, April 13: Attacking Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said no one can claim that Gujarat could be called a developed state since around 1,200 were "butchered" in the riots there.
Singh also said the Gujarat riots as well as the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were a "blot" on the secular image of the country.
"I don't think it (Gujarat) has the right to call itself a developed state where 1,200 were butchered (during the riots)," the Prime Minister told a press conference here.
His reaction came to a question on Modi's remarks that other states can emulate Gujarat's development policies.
Asked whether the shoe-throwing at the home minister P. Chidambaram prompted his party to withdraw tickets to anti-Sikh riots case accused Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, he said that there were protests against their candidature and taking this into consideration, Congress took a decision.
To a question why the nuclear deal was not a campaign issue for the Congress, the Prime Minister shot back, "who said that (it is not an issue)? It is in the manifesto. What else should we do? You tell us."
Decrease text sizeIncrease text size</b>
April 13th, 2009
Mumbai, April 13: Attacking Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said no one can claim that Gujarat could be called a developed state since around 1,200 were "butchered" in the riots there.
Singh also said the Gujarat riots as well as the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were a "blot" on the secular image of the country.
"I don't think it (Gujarat) has the right to call itself a developed state where 1,200 were butchered (during the riots)," the Prime Minister told a press conference here.
His reaction came to a question on Modi's remarks that other states can emulate Gujarat's development policies.
Asked whether the shoe-throwing at the home minister P. Chidambaram prompted his party to withdraw tickets to anti-Sikh riots case accused Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, he said that there were protests against their candidature and taking this into consideration, Congress took a decision.
To a question why the nuclear deal was not a campaign issue for the Congress, the Prime Minister shot back, "who said that (it is not an issue)? It is in the manifesto. What else should we do? You tell us."