BJP manifesto is mere sloganeering - Omar Abdullah

“As far as development in Gujarat is concerned, development is a smokescreen there. I ask all of you who are today enamoured by the Gujarat model to please look at the social indicators in Gujarat and see how badly the state is doing in poverty alleviation, gender equality and social security.

“These are all issues that are very conveniently tapered over because the handful of industrialists are today tom-tomming the Gujarat model for India,” he claimed. 

Omar said Gujarat may be a great place to set up an industry but the state is also a very bad place to be a poor and socially insecure person.

“The social indicators in Gujarat have not improved. And if that is the Gujarat model that he (Modi) wants to bring to India, then I think we have a lot to worry about because obviously the weaker sections of society in India will not get any better under the model, they will worsen.  

“Industry may get better, some big company people will improve but general quality of life of average Indian will not improve,” he said.