Time for change has come, says Modi; lambasts UPA govt on Italian marines, jawans beheading issues

Kolkata, Apr 9 : Bengal Inc was today witness to Narendra Modi spelling out his Gujarat development model across all sectors in detail, even as the BJP leader lashed out at the UPA government at the Centre for being "discriminatory", "lacking in governance", and "a direction-less foreign policy".In a hard-hitting speech in true Vajpayee vintage style at a joint meeting of three chambers of commerce in Kolkata, Modi lashed out at India's former external affairs minister S M Krishna for reading out another foreign minister's speech at the United Nations. He lashed out at External Affairs Minsiter Salman Khurshid for hosting lunch for the visiting Pakistan's prime minister, days after two Indian army jawans were beheaded. Modi also criticised the sending of two Italian marines accused of killing Indian fishermen to go to their country to cast their votes. "In India, undertrial prisoners are not even allowed to attend their mother's funeral. Here we allow those marines to go to Italy to cast their votes. Was it because of lack of ideas, or lack of budget resources, or what?", asked Modi. Modi lashed out at atrocities on Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh, and said, that a big nation like India, which worked for the birth of Bangladesh, had to watch silently, while minorities were facing oppression in the neighbourhood. Replying to questions, when a questioner asked whether as a politician, it was his wish to become the Prime Minister, Modi quipped : "I am not a politician. I am an apolitical person."But Modi's entire speech reflected his agenda for being projected as BJP's prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha elections. "India has the world's largest young population. We can change the world with the help of this youth power. It was Vivekananda who had predicted that he was seeing India being restored to its glory of being the world's Jagatguru (spiritual master)", said Modi. "Today, that opportunity has come. We must change this system. From our experiences in Gujarat, we can change India. We can make India's women part of our vision to change the country."Targeting the local audience, Modi said, "This soil of Bengal has tremendous power. You led the nation in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Without Bengal's guidance and power, we will feel everything incomplete."On the UPA government at the Centre, Modi said, this government is living on borrowed time. He compared the UPA government with an old man, who had the habit of inquiring about time several times in a day, though he had nowhere to go."This UPA government is also not looking at the 2014 calendar, it's regularly looking at its watch", Modi remarked. Modi lashed out at the UPA government at the centre for what he called "discrimination" against non-UPA-ruled states. "When Vajpayee government was there at the Centre, and the Left ruled Bengal, we had our ideological differences, but never once did the Left complain about discrimination by the Centre. But today, the UPA is indulging in blatant discrimination", Modi alleged. Modi referred to bills passed by his government, which commanded two-thirds majority in the assembly, but were held up or rejected by the Governor appointed by the Centre. "The entire nation should raise its voice against such discrimination by the Centre", said Modi.Modi said, even the West Bengal government is opposing the "discriminatory" policies of the Centre. In a clear indication of his conciliatory attitude towards Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, Modi said, he would not criticise the current state government here. Modi said, he has not come to Kolkata to criticize the West Bengal government or do a comparison of Bengal with Gujarat. "I have not come today for this work. I do this work during election time", he said, amidst loud guffaws. Modi said, he has spent the last 10 years filling up the "potholes" created by the Congress. "In Bengal, the potholes have been created for the last 32 years, and God knows, how many years it would take for any government to fill up those potholes", said Modi. Lauding the soil of Bengal, Modi said, this soil showed the way to fight social prejudices and evils in the 18th century. If you go and see the names of prisoners at the Cellular Jail in Andaman islands who underwent lifeterm imprisonment during the British, you will find every alternate name of a Bengali, said Modi. Modi recounted how the Centre suddenly clamped a ban on cotton export, and cotton growers in Gujarat faced a Rs 7,000 cr loss. "We implemented the 5F formula. Farm to fibre, to fabric, to fashion to foreign, to bypass this ban on cotton exports", said Modi amidst applause.The chief minister claimed that Gujarat achieved double the growth rate in tourism. "Gujarat was never a tourism destination. Gujaratis are good tourists. They go to five-star hotels, open their dabbas and take out khekhra to eat. With the help of Amitabh Bachchan, we promoted Gujarat, and tourists have started pouring to Gujarat."Asia's biggest solar power farm is in Gujarat today. Gujarat is gradually becoming the world capital in solar energy, claimed Modi. Almost all the oil refinery work is being done in Gujarat, Modi said. Modi claimed that his government in Gujarat achieved nearly 10 pc growth rate in agriculture, whereas the rest of the country failed to achieve even 4 per cent growthin agriculture. We need better technology, better cold storage chain for our farmers, said Modi. The BJP leader alleged that the Centre sold excess wheat to alcohol manufacturing units at a throwaway price of Rs 65 per quintal.There is no real data available about our agro-products, Modi said. Had there been real data about our foodgrains, we could have easily provided excess foodgrains to states where people are dying of hunger, he added.