Jagraon, Punjab:
BJP's prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi today slammed the Congress-led UPA government over corruption and price rise by saying the "ABCD of corruption" had become the identity of the party.
"They (Congress) have changed the nomenclature of ABCD. It is now A for Adarsh (scam), B for Bofors, C for Coal scam," Mr Modi said while addressing thousands at a 'fateh rally' at Jagraon in Punjab's Ludhiana.
"I am surprised that Congress leaders are accusing others of corruption. How can they point fingers at others when their own government has seen so many scams?" Mr Modi asked.
Mr Modi also asserted that he would not allow anyone to loot the treasury.
In a rhetorical reference to the Congress election symbol, Mr Modi said if he became the prime minister, "I assure you I will sit like a
chowkidar (watchman) and ensure that the
panja (hand) is kept away from the coffers."
"When Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister, he said that out of every rupee sanctioned from Delhi, only 15 paise reach villages. I want to know which 'panja' is robbing the rupee," Mr Modi asked.
The BJP's prime ministerial candidate said agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors needed to be promoted to help the economy grow.
"We need industry to take India forward. We need agriculture so that no one goes hungry. The service sector requires least investment... We have not paid adequate attention to this sector," Mr Modi said.
"Land is not going to increase and land holdings are getting smaller. We have to increase agricultural production by bringing new technology and scientific research," he added.