Congress did not follow Gandhian values, neglected villages: PM Modi in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday alleged that villages in Gujarat remained neglected as the previous Congress governments did not follow Mahatma Gandhi's values.

Modi was speaking at a campaign rally for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates at Bavla village in poll-bound Gujarat's Ahmedabad district.

"Mahatma Gandhi used to say that the soul of India resides in its villages. But Congress leaders never cared to follow such Gandhian values. They actually crushed that soul. Villages remained neglected and their true potential was never realised," he said.

The rift between villages and cities only widened under the Congress governments which even "enjoyed the conflict between the two", the prime minister said.

"Today, everyone appreciates the Panchayati Raj system of Gujarat. But during Congress rule, the budget of that department was just Rs 100 crore," he claimed.

The BJP, after coming to power, concentrated on providing amenities like electricity and tap water in villages so that people need not migrate to the cities for want of such facilities, the prime minister said.