Congress made lives of 'aam aadmi' difficult, says Modi

Accusing the Congress of "failing" to contain inflation in the country, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the party made the life of "aam aadmi very difficult" economically during its rule.

Addressing his first election rally in the hill state at Pithoragarh, Modi alleged that the Congress has not been able to address the problems of the poor as its leaders have never experienced such hardships and "they talk about the poor while sitting in the air-conditioned rooms."

"Having never seen poverty, Sonia Gandhi cannot understand the plight of crores of people in the country, who go to bed every night without meal," the BJP leader alleged. Modi said that in the last 60 years of independence, Congress has ruled the country for 55 years,"but thousands of villages in the country are still waiting for drinking water and medical facilities and Rahul Gandhi talks of poverty while sitting in air condition rooms."

On the issue of the black money stashed in foreign banks, Modi cited former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's statement that out of every rupees spent by Centre for the poor, only 10 paise reaches to them.

"The remaining 85 paise which went to the corrupt officers and leaders during the last 60 years are lying in foreign banks. If it comes back to the country, it can change the lives of crores of people," he claimed.

Modi attacked the Congress and United Progressive Alliance for its "failure to check terrorism in the country" and alleged the government did not understand the plight of families that have sacrificed their children to protect the country from the terrorists.

The BJP leader alleged that "while 'SRP' (Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka) are always after me and taking note of my every activity, they have not been able to implement the 20-point programme launched by late Rajiv Gandhi even in the Congress ruled states."

The Gujarat chief minister claimed that his state stands first in the implementation of the programme.