Gandhinagar, February 17 (Agencies): Reacting a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s allegations that the BJP had scuttled reforms because action was being taken day against a Gujarat minister (read former Home Minister Amit Shah), the state’s Chief minister Narendra Modi said Singh’s allegations was the biggest joke of 2011. Modi said the Prime Minister was levelling allegation against Gujarat to “divert public attention from his failures”. Modi told television channels at his official residence on Thursday: “Yesterday’s press conference by the PM was a failed attempt to wash black spots from his image. To save his self, he is trying to corner Gujarat and levelling allegations on a Gujarat minister.”
Modi was equally harsh on his reaction to Singh’s charge that his state has opposed economic reforms like the Goods and Service Tax (GST). He said: ““Gujarat and the BJP has cleared its stand on reforms like GST since the beginning. A year ago, when I met finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, I told him we cannot implement it before creating the nationwide information technology network for GST. Mukherjee also agreed to my suggestion and immediately called his personal secretary and ordered him to form a taskforce for this. However, till date, there is no progress. I challenge the PM to make the minutes of the GST empowerment committee public and let the people know what suggestions Gujarat and other states have made in last two years.” Modi further alleged the PM and his party is responsible for the “lack of economic reforms”. “Let the PM disclose all information to the public and let them decide who stalled the reforms,” he said.
Modi was equally harsh on his reaction to Singh’s charge that his state has opposed economic reforms like the Goods and Service Tax (GST). He said: ““Gujarat and the BJP has cleared its stand on reforms like GST since the beginning. A year ago, when I met finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, I told him we cannot implement it before creating the nationwide information technology network for GST. Mukherjee also agreed to my suggestion and immediately called his personal secretary and ordered him to form a taskforce for this. However, till date, there is no progress. I challenge the PM to make the minutes of the GST empowerment committee public and let the people know what suggestions Gujarat and other states have made in last two years.” Modi further alleged the PM and his party is responsible for the “lack of economic reforms”. “Let the PM disclose all information to the public and let them decide who stalled the reforms,” he said.
