Congress to probe scams involving Modi if voted to power

Ahmedabad -  The Gujarat unit of the Congress Party on Thursday said that it would probe all scams linked to incumbent chief minister Narendra Modi if it was voted to power in the two=phased state assembly elections in December this year.

This was stated by state unit president Arjun Modhwadia here.

He said this during the routine media briefings ahead of the polls to the provincial legislature.

Further he mentioned that his party has come out with a vision document to restore law and order in the state and also find a mode to thwart widespread corruption.

"Gujarat is facing a breakdown of law and order other than being one of the most corrupt states. So the Congress party under the banner of 'Gujarat Praja Vikas Darshan, 2012' is launching a vision document to restore law and order as well as find a solution to widespread corruption," said Modhwadia.

He also depicted statistical picture of the crimes against women and children during Modi's reign.

"There has been a surge in kidnappings of women and children during the reign of Narendra Modi, around 11351 women have been kidnapped, totally registered crime scorecard stands at 1255644; 12649 murders took place and the same number of attempted killings were made. Over 3774 women were raped and many of these gory incidents have not even been formally registered," added Modhwadia

Slamming Narendra Modi, who is stung by a spate of graft cases, Modhwadia said that the vision envisaged by the Congress would impede misuse of political power in the democratic system of the land.

Another highlight of Modhwadia's statement was the institution of the Lokayukta (state level ombudsman).

"The Chief Minister figures in 17 financial scams worth 100000 crore. Through this vision document envisaged by the Congress party, we aim to stop the political misuse of state police and activities to terrorise the public like extortion for the benefits of the Bharatiya Janata Party. We would ensure the transparent appointment of police officials and strengthen the Lokayukta (state ombudsman) law. If the Congress is voted to power, within three weeks, the Lokayukta would be appointed with the consultation and recommendation of the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court other than initiating probe against Modi over 17 scams," said Modhwadia.

The Lokayukta would initiate probe into Modi's involvement in diverse scams, he said.

Seeking votes ahead of state polls, various political parties are making efforts to lure the electorate with tall promises by orating about issues like corruption and crimes among others.

The rift between BJP and Congress has always been in the limelight, this time targeting Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh to fetch votes in order to elect a new government.

The first phase of the Gujarat assembly polls will take place on December 13, while the second will be held on December 17.

Counting of votes will take place on December 20.

Over 35,000 troopers from the paramilitary forces and at least 55,000 state police personnel are likely to be deployed for the upcoming Gujarat polls.

Gujarat has 182 assembly constituencies, 13 of which are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 26 for Scheduled Tribe (ST) with 3.78 crore (approximately 38 million) voters who waiting to exercise their franchise after being ruled by Modi for over a decade.

Modi is seen as the strongest candidate of BJP during general elections in two years, thanks to rapid growth and a perception of corruption-free governance in his state, which has 5 percent of India's population but contributes 16 percent to national industrial output.

Under high-profile but divisive Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat stands apart in a country that doesn't always make it easy for manufacturers.

Earlier, Modi had embarked on series of three-day fasts to promote 'harmony', which was seen as a way of helping revamp the image of a leader accused by critics of complicity in communal riots that killed at least 1,000 people in 2002.