Modi highlights development in 'report card' at UP rally

Virtually launching his party's election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted his government's achievements in its two year stint. In a subtle attack on the Congress, he said that there had not been any corruption charges against the NDA regime.

Addressing a public meeting at Saharanpur, about 500 kilometres from here, Modi, apparently keeping in mind the forthcoming UP assembly elections, called himself 'UP walla' (from UP)  and said that his government was dedicated to the poor. ''I am an MP from UP and I have come to give my report card on completion of two years in office to the people of the country,'' the prime minister said as he referred to the local problems in a bid to strike a chord with the people.

He referred to various developmental schemes launched by the Centre and said that his government had tried to make the states more powerful by transferring more funds to them.

Modi sought to put the former Congress-led UPA government in the dock by making an indirect attack on it over corruption charges against many of the former ministers and said that he had given a corruption-free government in the past two years.

''Two years ago the newspapers and TV reports were full of corruption allegations against the ministers... I was shocked to see that people used power to loot the country,'' the prime minister said.

''I want to know with all humility from you (people)... did you hear about corruption charges against the government in the past two years?'' he asked from the crowd in his typical style.

Modi also said that he was for an inclusive government. ''I do not believe in caste, religion or community,'' he said.

In his 45 minutes address, Modi harped on development and said that it was the answer to all the ills. ''Nothing but development is the answer to all the problems... everything else is vote bank politics,'' he said.

In an apparent reference to the Congress' attack that nothing had changed in the country during his two year rule, Modi said that the nation was changing. ''Desh badal raha hai lekin kuch logon ka dimag nahin badal raha,'' (the country is changing but the mind of some people is not), he said. BJP leaders from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttarakhand were also present at the rally.