Rajasthan sought solar power but got 'damad' power: Modi

Targeting Congress over Robert Vadra's controversial land deals in Rajasthan, Narendra Modi today said that farmers' land was acquired in the name of solar power plant but instead the state got 'damad (son-in-law) power'.

Addressing a rally in Rathkudia area in Pali constituency, Modi said "there is nuclear power, hydro power, wind power and solar power but for the first time, 'damad power' is beign heard of in Rajasthan".

"Thousands of acres of land belonging to farmers was given to 'jijaji' (brother-in-law) of Shehzade (Rahul Gandhi) in the name of solar power. Board of Solar power was put up but what happened actually is that it became 'damad power’ in Rajasthan," he said without naming Vadra, son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, while accusing the Congress party not giving answer on the issue.

"It is they (Congress people) who are running the Government but they seek answers from Modi," he said.

He claimed that Asia's biggest solar power plant was set up in Gujarat, but in Rajasthan there was "damad power not solar power".

Calling Congress party’s election manifesto a ‘dhoka patra’ , Modi said that the party has in the manifesto repeated its promise made in 2009 election about 10 crore jobs.

Modi in his nearly 24-minute address also accused the Congress led UPA government od running away from its responsibility of telling people of the country about the works it did for them.

"In elections, governments should tell what they did for you but this Congress government is not doing that. Their arrogance is in the seventh heaven. They do not feel their responsibility towards people. They think that people are in their pocket and power is their property," he said.

Modi said that it is the first election in the country which is about the people of the nation, not about political parties, and the first election whose result is known to all.

The Gujarat Chief Minister said that it was Atal Bihari Vajpayee led government which dreamed of linking rivers but the UPA government scrapped it after it came to power in 2004.

"Despite Supreme Court’s direction to expedite the project, Sonia Gandhi’s government is doing nothing," he said, while promising to undertake the project if BJP comes to power.

"We will provide water to parched and desert region by linking rivers if our government is formed at the Centre," he said.  

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, party’s candidate from Pali constituency P P Chaudhary and other senior leaders were present in the public meeting.