PM rakes up GST issue with Cong, says decision 'not taken by PM alone'

Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at Congress for attacking the centre for the launch of Goods and Services Tax (GST). He said the launch of the new taxation system, GST was not just the decision of Prime Minister alone.

Addressing a mammoth Gaurav Mahasammelan in Gandhinagar in poll-bound state Gujarat, "Congress is an equal partner in GST decisions. They should not spread lies on GST."

Modi said, "The nation has been freed from black money post demonetisation. 8 November, when demonetisation was introduced, will be remembered as anti-black money day."

The Prime Minister said the Congress never focused on service and involved in dynastic politics.

Read: BJP workers need to root out Congress completely from Gujarat: Amit Shah

"The Congress has lied to India. It has never focused on service. The Congress has lowered standard of politics. The Congress does not have the guts to fight on the plank of development. They have always fought on communal issues. When nothing worked for Congress, they started abusing development," he added.

Sounding the poll bugle for Gujarat Assembly election, Modi said he wishes Congress to fight for once on the issue of development.

"I had hoped that this time they would take the BJP's challenge of fighting on the issue of development. But they have not done so," he added.

Modi said that there was a "saffron wave" everywhere, while adding that the development politics of the BJP will beat Congress' dynastic politics.

The Prime Minister went on to say, "BJP is party of workers not dynastic politics and politics of development will take over politics of dynasty soon. I can see saffron wave everywhere across the country. BJP is an organisation committed to serve nation."

Lauding the BJP workers, the Prime Minister said, "I know each BJP worker's strength. BJP workers have been fearless. BJP workers are behind BJP's victories. I know how much the workers have suffered."

Recounting the BJP's victory in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Prime Minister said party chief Amit Shah was behind its success.

"BJP's victory in Uttar Pradesh elections surprised everyone. Amit Shah was man of the match of the Uttar Pradesh election. He was behind BJP's success in Uttar Pradesh," he added.

The Prime Minister further charged Congress of ill-treating Indian freedom fighters including Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Morarji Desai.

He also accused the Gandhi family of insulting non-Gandhis and said, "Non-Gandhis have always been insulted in the Congress. They don't like Gujarat and Gujratis. When Morarji Desai became prime minister, they spread rumours about what he drank and what he didn't. They didn't talk about his ideals, about his dedication to Mahatma Gandhi's cause."

The Prime Minister also accused Congress of planning to send him and Amit Shah to jail for serving Gujarat.

Talking about the Narmada project, he said Congress stalled the project.

"Congress didn't want Naramada dam. Congress stalled many projects which the BJP has revived. Congress has left many Gujarat projects unfinished. Had the work of Narmada been completed 50 years back, Gujarat would have been at a higher dimension" he added.

In his address, the Prime Minister compared elections with yagya and said, "In a democracy, elections are a yagya. All soldiers of democracy must use that yagya to do more good. However, since the ages of Ramayana and Mahabharata, we have seen that when there is yagya, there are always those who try to cause problems."

The Prime Minister concluded his speech by extending Diwali greetings to those gathered in the mega rally.

Prime Minister Modi reached his home state Gujarat earlier on Monday.

BJP president Amit Shah was also be present at the concluding ceremony of the Yatra.