‘Desperate Congress dividing Gujarat on caste lines’

AHMEDABAD: Union finance minister and BJP's Gujarat election in-charge Arun Jaitley on Saturday reiterated that his party will win the 2017 elections with a thumping majority and, in the same breath, alleged that a desperate Congress was trying to stall "Gujarat's development wave" by trying to divide the state on caste lines.

"Congress is playing an extremely dangerous game of splitting the state on caste lines, which will prove suicidal for that party," said Jaitley when asked about implications of the Congress aligning with Patidar leader Hardik Patel, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani for the upcoming elections.

He also criticised the Congress for lampooning "development in Gujarat" with its 'Vikas has gone crazy' social media campaign. "Economic development fights poverty. It fights backwardness. How can one afford to make fun of development and bring forth one's dynasty politics?," said Jaitley.

He alleged that Congress, while in power had used its might, including the CBI, and "campaigned against one man (Narendra Modi) and one state (Gujarat)."

When asked about Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's allegations on the implementation of GST, Jaitley said, "The GST in its present form has been ratified by finance ministers of Congress-ruled states. Also, Congress lacks the basic understanding of the concept of GST."