Cong boycotts state function,attacks BJP at own event

Ahmed Patel,political advisor to AICC president Sonia Gandhi said meticulous planning by past chief ministers had formed the basis for development of Gujarat.

He said that taking the Narmada project to its present state was the result of hard work of the likes of Rajiv Gandhi and Madhavsinh Solanki. He said the Congress was a means to serve people and not a tool to gain power and asked party workers to focus on service and ignore what others (in the government) are doing.

Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said the Centre did not discriminate between states; Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit said if Gujarat was progressing,so were other states,but it was time the state changed its ways and erased stigmas (of being a communally sensitive state) to reach the pinnacle of progress. Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said in Gujarat,power was in the hands of those who do not believe in democratic values.

Former Chief Minister Madahvsinh Solanki said Gujarat has given a lot to India,including Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. CLP leader Shaktisinh Gohil drew attention to the contrast that while Gujarat founder Ravishankar Maharaj had told his followers not to build his memorial with public money,the present-day rulers are using public money for self projection.

MP Rajiv Shukla lamented that Gujarat was reduced to a brand to earn publicity. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that Gujarat’s progress has retarded of late and fallen behind states like Haryana,especially after Congress’ coming to power there.

Hooda,who studied in Sainik School at Jamnagar,said it was time the pride of Gujarat was restored. GPCC president Siddharth Patel welcomed the guests following a colourful dance performance from various tribal areas here.

At the function,Shankersinh Vaghela asked his party workers to rise above groupism and deal an effective blow to the BJP by claiming absolute majority in the next Assembly elections in 2012.