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Modi attacks
Rahul for allegedly politics
denigrating Indian
businessmen,
seeking to turn on
issues to criticise him should note that MSP (minimum support price)?” Man-
whatever mistake they find dates back its head the entire ish Tewari, former Union minister and
to 70 years ago not from his four years. argument of the Congress spokesperson told reporters.
“I have only four years in my account The PM’s response is significant as
and you had 70 years.” Congress party it comes in the backdrop of Congress
Referring to the ceremony as “a party trying to link the National Demo-
record-breaking ceremony instead cratic Alliance to big businessmen. In
of a ground-breaking ceremony”, the has to flee the country or has to spend early 2015, Gandhi had alleged that
PM Modi said India had become the his life inside a jail.” Modi was leading a suit boot ki sarkaar
world’s second largest producer of In a veiled attack on the Congress, (pro-rich government). To be sure, the
cellphones, and that UP was leading the principal opposition party, Modi NDA has on several occasions clarified
this “manufacturing revolution.” said he was not among those who that its government favoured busi-
Modi attacked Rahul Gandhi for feared standing beside industrialists. nessmen as they are a key economic
allegedly denigrating Indian busi- “When one’s conscience is clear and agent. Indeed Prime Minister Naren-
nessmen, seeking to turn on its head intention is noble, you don’t get tainted dra Modi has very articulately taken
the entire argument of the Congress by standing with anybody. Those the battle to the opposition camp on
party, which has been claiming that people have such fears who don’t want an issue where earlier he was finding
not everything is above board on the to meet in public but will do everything himself and his government on the de-
recent purchase of Rafale aircraft behind the scene,” he said. fensive. The event was also attended by
from France. Speaking at the launch The Congress party was quick to industry bigwigs such as Kumar Man-
of various development projects, Modi respond. “Congress is not against galam Birla, chairman of the Aditya
said industrialists too, like labourers, industrialists or capitalists. But it is Birla group; Gautam Adani, chairman
farmers and bankers, play an impor- against crony capitalists. The suit boot of the Adani group; Subhash Chandra,
tant role in nation-building and that it ki sarkaar reflects crony capitalism. PM chairman of the Essel group and a
was wrong to hold all of them morally gave a long speech on development. Rajya Sabha MP; and Sanjeev Puri, MD,
deficient. “Should we insult them? But the question is that if development ITC. Top executives of business houses
Should we call them thieves and bur- is happening in the country then why like Walmart were also present.
glars?,” he said, before adding, “But yes, is economy in a poor state and why are
one indulges in wrongdoing, he either farmers selling their produce below letters@tehelka.com

• Nation-building Industrialists too play an
important role in nation-building, says Modi

Tehelka / 31 august 2018 21 www.Tehelka.com