Cong has outsourced contract of abusing me, it is working 'silently' to seek votes in villages: Modi
Jamkandorna (Gujarat), Oct 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress has outsourced the contract of abusing him and it is working "silently" to capture rural votes.
Addressing a rally in Jamkandorna town of Rajkot district in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat ahead of the state Assembly polls due this year-end, Modi warned BJP workers and supporters to be aware of the opposition Congress.
"In the last 20 years, those who were against Gujarat left no stone unturned to defame the state. They hurled choicest abuses against me, including calling me maut ka saudagar'," the prime minister said.
"They have suddenly gone silent. They have outsourced the contract of creating ruckus, making noise and abusing me, to others. They are silently going to villages and asking people for votes," Modi said.
"I should warn you against this silent strategy of the opposition party. I know this as this is being controlled by those who are known to conspire against Gujarat from Delhi," the PM said.
Targeting the opposition, Modi said when the Indian government makes a move against corruption, "an entire group shouts against us", and begins to defame government institutions.
"Why don't you give a straight reply to the allegations levelled against you. You will have to pay back whatever you have looted from the public. Shouldn't I continue to work despite criticism? I have your full blessings," he said.
Modi told the BJP workers and supporters to ask Congress leaders if they visited the world's tallest Statue of Unity, built in Gujarat in the honour of India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who hailed from the state.
People from all over the world visit the grand Statue of Unity barring one group of people, he said.
"If you find any Congress worker near your village, ask him whether he went to the Statue of Unity even once? Even if some of them went, they would have done so secretly so that others do not know about this," he said.
"Those who do not respect the son of soil cannot be accepted in Gujarat," Modi said.
In an apparent response to critics of the 'Gujarat model', Modi said today the state and development have become synonymous with each other.
Whichever sector one may look at, talks of development of Gujarat can be backed by figures.
He recalled days when people had to struggle for water and electricity, and the law and order situation was bad.
In 20 years of the BJP rule, all this has changed, the PM said.
He said in two decades of BJP rule, sectors such as education, healthcare and industry have seen a massive growth.
Had Gujarat not developed so much in the last 20 years, there would have been a question mark on the future of youth of the state. "It is the hard work of 20 years that the future of our youth is moving ahead with development and trust," he said.
The prime minister said this is just the beginning and his dream is to take Gujarat to new heights in another 25 years.
As Modi completes 21 years of heading governments in Gujarat and at the Centre, he recalled the journey started from Rajkot.
He won his first election as an MLA from Rajkot (west) seat in 2002.
"I can say with my long experience that months and years have passed, but Gujarat continues to achieve new heights and behind this is not just the government and Narendra-Bhupendra (CM Bhupendra Patel), but the hard work of friends like you," he said.
Modi also remembered socialist icon Jayaprakash Narayan and Jana Sangh leader Nanaji Deshmukh on their birth anniversary on Tuesday.
He said Deshmukh's ideals continue to inspire him, and he is trying to complete Narayan's task to make India corruption-free.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
