Modi plays development card on Godhra stage

Godhra: Taking his campaign for amity to Godhra that had become a byword for communal tension, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said Friday that his state had shown India that the politics of development could work.

Modi staged his daylong hunger strike as part of his 'Sadbhavna' fast in Godhra, the town from where the Gujarat riots began 10 years ago on Feb 27, 2002, when 59 people, mostly karsevaks, were killed when a coach of the Sabarmati Express train was set afire.

'If anyone has brought development to the centrestage of politics and in elections, it's the people of Gujarat who have shown that development is the only way. Vote politics has affected the development of the country. Many areas were left alone as they were not votebank areas, development was for only few people. It's Gujarat that has shown that development is for everyone and not for any votebank,' said Modi.

He also criticised the central government for not doing enough to help the agricultural sector, adding that here too, Gujarat had led the way.

'The central government has failed in improving agricultural growth. The centre's agriculture growth is just three percent, but Gujarat's agriculture growth is 11 percent,' Modi said.

Godhra is the 23rd stop for Modi's Sadbhavna mission. In September last year, the chief minister had held a grand, ostentatious three-day fast for communal harmony in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat goes to the polls later this year to elect a new government.