The Bhartiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Friday targeted Congress president Sonia Gandhi for “misleading the country on crimes against women.”
Addressing a rally at Chanda Club grounds, Mr.Modi said, “Madam Sonia, you are a woman but you are misleading the women of this country by twisting facts and statistics relating to crimes against women.”
“According to the crime records bureau data, seven out of 10 States where crime against women is high are Congress-ruled States. Not a single State in this list is ruled by the BJP or its allies,” said Mr. Modi.
Referring to the murder of Congress worker Kalpana Giri in Latur district of Maharashtra for which two workers of her own party were arrested, Mr. Modi claimed that the Congress was “unfit” to rule the country for it “cannot protect its own women workers from its male workers.”
The Gujarat Chief Minister also criticised the UPA government for “failing to spend a single penny” from Rs.1,000-crore Nirbhaya fund allotted in the Union Budget dedicated to the December 16 gang rape victim, adding that the Congress “puts chilli powder” in the eyes of people.
Referring to tribals from the neighbouring Gadchiroli district, Mr.Modi pointed out that the Congress forgot the tribals after 1947. “It was Atal Bihari Vajpayee government which formed the first separate Tribal Welfare Ministry,” claimed Mr.Modi.
He also appealed the Maoists to give up violence and “make this soil green with crops rather than red with blood.”
