Modi heads a government of swindlers: Sonia

She asked the well-attended gathering to throw out the BJP government that had come to power with the help of false promises and raising hollow slogans, and instead, elect the Congress whose promises matched its deeds.

She said if the state had really achieved all-round development under Modi, as was being claimed, then why were 50 per cent of cotton farmers in debt in north Gujarat, and why were they being denied adequate power supply to run their tubewells or water connection for irrigation purposes. Instead the Modi government was handcuffing farmers for using power for irrigation purposes, she said. She further said the government had failed to channelise Narmada’s waters to the north Gujarat fields.

She said development in the BJP's terminology meant progress of a chosen few, referring to industrialists who had apparently benefited under the state government's policy.

She said the Centre has as of now, allocated Rs 1,000 crore for development of the border areas in the state and another Rs 6,000 crore under JNNURM schemes in cities and towns of Gujarat. Referring to Modi's oft-repeated complaint that the Centre was discriminating with Gujarat, she said, the UPA government has set up a corpus fund of 25,000 crore to raise the procurement price of cotton so as to ensure that farmers get reasonable price for their produce. The Centre has also made available farm loans at seven per cent rate of interest, but the state government was not taking any interest in it, she said. The Modi government also did not raise the minimum wages for farm labourers, she said.