Modi blasts 'mute' PM, says both UPA & rupee have lost value

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today continued his tirade against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the falling rupee, saying both he and the domestic currency have turned 'mute'.

"There was a time when Indian rupee was making lots of noise. But today it has lost its voice. And similarly we are unable to hear the voice of our Prime Minister. Both have turned mute," he said here in Saurashtra region.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a function organised to felicitate him for creation of Morbi as a separate district carved out of Rajkot. Modi, on August 15, had announced the formation of seven new districts.

The BJP Election Campaign Committee Chief, in his Independence Day speech, had attacked Singh on various issues, including the falling rupee and the stand-offs with Pakistan and China.

Expressing serious concern over the continuous fall in the value of rupee, Modi said, "today our currency is on deathbed. It is in terminal stage and urgently needs attention of a doctor."
Training guns at the Congress-led ruling coalition at the Centre, he said "at the time of coming to power this Government had promised to reduce inflation within 100 days, but that has eluded the country."

"At present both - rupee and UPA Government, have lost their value. Time has come to stop our country from destruction. The Central Government is misguiding the country. People need to know why our country is heading towards destruction."

At the function, Modi was weighed in silver and around 80kg of the white metal was presented to him by representatives of ceramic industry of Morbi.

Modi announced that proceeds from the donated silver will be used for building the proposed 'Statue of Unity' monument of Sardar Patel on Narmada river.

In his almost hour-long address, Modi singled out the Congress, which is out of power in the state since mid-1990s, for criticism. "The party should ponder why people are not allowing it to enter Gujarat."