In a blistering attack on Modi’s much hyped Gujarat model, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi called it a ‘toffee model’ and also listed out some figures to question the development claims of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Gujarat. “Nowadays there are huge talks about Gujarat model. You must have heard about senior BJP leaders Advani and Jaswant Singh. Today, BJP has sidelined these leaders under its new leader Modi. Earlier, there was partnership between Vajpayee and Advani; today there is a new partnership – between Modi and Adani” said Rahul Gandhi while addressing a Congress election rally at Latur in Maharashtra on Monday.

1. Camp: Latur, Maharashtra
Date: 14th April, 2014
Time: 5:30 PM
Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra mocks Gujarat model, calls it a toffee model
In a blistering attack on Modi’s much hyped Gujarat model, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi called it a ‘toffee model’ and
also listed out some figures to question the development claims of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Gujarat.
“Nowadays there are huge talks about Gujarat model. You must have heard about senior BJP leaders Advani and Jaswant Singh.
Today, BJP has sidelined these leaders under its new leader Modi. Earlier, there was partnership between Vajpayee and Advani;
today there is a new partnership – between Modi and Adani” said Rahul Gandhi while addressing a Congress election rally at
Latur in Maharashtra on Monday.
“Let us examine some facts about so called Gujarat Model. Modi government gave about 45000 acres of lands worth 300 cr for
just Rs. 1 per mtr to Adani. Nowadays a toffee costs Rs. 1 and in Modi’s Gujarat, state govt gave Adani land at the price of a
toffee. This is not Gujarat model, but a toffee model. Not all business people get benefits in Gujarat; only one industrialist reaps
entire benefits. 5 years back Adani’s total wealth was just Rs 3000 cr but today it is Rs. 40000cr. How he could achieve it? Not by
selling any of his assets but by snatching away people’s lands with the help of Modi” lamented the Congress leader and added,
“Modi claims that there is enough employment generation in Gujarat. But recently, about 8.5 lakh people applied for about
1500 posts in the state government. If there was enough jobs, why there are so many applicants for a job?”
Rahul Gandhi did not stop there but went on to say, “Here are some more examples of their ‘toffee model’. About 40 lakh
people in Gujarat are under BPL. Remember, the poverty line in Gujarat was redrawn recently at Rs. 11. Still, this is the situation.
40% of the people are not able to get drinking water facilities in Gujarat. Every section suffers under Gujarat model. There were
a lot of small scale industries there, but today, most of them are shut down. What model they are talking about?”
“We believe in building a partnership between the poor and the business community. BJP does not have such a vision. They just
want to satisfy some industrialists and forget the pain of the people, the poor and the farmers. They are expert in marketing.
They favour big industrialists and the industrialists do the marketing for BJP” argued the Congress Vice President.
“BJP just talks but does nothing. This time, they have sent up a new balloon – Gujarat balloon – ahead of elections. They spend
huge amounts for marketing it. But, I am sure after the elections, you will again hear a loud voice, of bursting that huge balloon”
said Rahul Gandhi and asserted, “Congress will again form a pro-poor government. We will strengthen the partnership between
the poor and the industries”.

2. “You just listen to the speeches of our leaders. You can never hear any abuse or false comments by them. We do not have
anger. We want to promote a politics of love. We never abuse, even our
enemies. But just examine what BJP is doing. They indulge in a politics of anger. They keep on abusing our leaders and Congress
party” explained the Congress leader.
“We need to have a politics of love, affection and brotherhood. That is what great leaders like Gandhi ji and Ambedkar Ji taught
us” concluded Rahul Gandhi.
Full text of the speech by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Latur, Maharashtra
Today is the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar Ji who had worked for our country and its people. His fight was the fight for the
Congress party too.
We are going to face another general election. This election is a battle of two ideologies; one is that of Congress which believes
in uniting and empowering people. We want development, growth rates and progress but also want to ensure that the people
also get its benefits. On the other side we have the ideology of BJP which believes that development means development and
growth of a selected group. They are not bothered about the poor, Dalits, Adivasis or women.
In, 2004, BJP and NDA had come out with a slogan – India Shining. I too became active in politics in 2004. I had visited various
places across the country then but could not experience any ‘shining’. After elections people voted Congress to power.
After forming the government, we went to the people to know their difficulties. They told us that they face difficulties in
securing jobs. We, therefore, enacted MNREGA to guarantee jobs for rural poor. The farmers told us about their issues of huge
debts. They also shared their problems of not getting access to banks. We realised their pain and waived off loan worth Rs.
70000 cr of the poor farmers and opened doors of the banks for them. We increased the MSP for their crops to a record
highest.
We believe in building a partnership between the poor and the business community. BJP does not have such a vision. They just
want to satisfy some industrialists and forget the pain of the people, the poor and the farmers. They are expert in marketing.
They favour big industrialists and the industrialists do the marketing for BJP.
Nowadays there are huge talks about Gujarat model. You must have heard about senior BJP leaders Advani and Jaswant Singh.
Today, BJP has sidelined these leaders under its new leader Modi. Earlier, there was partnership between Vajpayee and Advani;
today there is a new partnership – between Modi and Adani.
Let us examine some facts about so called Gujarat Model. Modi government gave about 45000 acres of lands worth 300 cr for
just Rs. 1 per mtr to Adani. Nowadays a toffee costs Rs. 1 and in Modi’s Gujarat, state govt gave Adani land at the price of a

3. toffee. This is not Gujarat model, but a toffee model. Not all business people get benefits in Gujarat; only one industrialist reaps
entire benefits. 5 years back Adani’s total wealth was just Rs 3000 cr but today it is Rs. 40000cr. How he could achieve it? Not by
selling any of his assets but by snatching away people’s lands with the help of Modi.
Similarly, Rs. 10000 crore was given to Tata for Nano car project. The state government would not have required this much
amount to improve education in Gujarat.
Modi claims that there is enough employment generation in Gujarat. But recently, about 8.5 lakh people applied for about 1500
posts in the state government. If there was enough jobs, why this much applicants apply for a job?
Here are some more examples of their ‘toffee model’. About 40 lakh people in Gujarat are under BPL. Remember, the poverty
line in Gujarat was redrawn recently at Rs. 11. Still, this is the situation. 40% of the people are not able to get drinking water
facilities in Gujarat. Every section suffers under Gujarat model. There were a lot of small scale industries there, but today, most
of them are shut down. What model they are talking about?
We go to the people frequently. We had held interactions with various sections of the society, before finalising our manifesto for
2014 polls. People had expressed their happiness with our schemes of granting rights in jobs and food for the poor. But they told
us about their difficulties in availing hospital facilities. They told us that if somebody falls ill in a poor family, it is very difficult to
avail adequate healthcare facilities. We, therefore, decided to grant people a right to health in our manifesto. We will open the
doors of hospitals for the poor. Similarly, we also will provide people with right to shelter for the poor and right to pension for
old-aged.
The biggest issue of the youth today is lack of employment opportunities. We have launched a new industrial corridors project–
Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai, Delhi-Kolkata- will generate more jobs for our youth. We will have all modern infrastructures
in that corridor. Today China is the manufacturing capital of the world. We want India to replace China in the future. We want to
see ‘Made in India’ or Made in Latur K or Maharashtra’ and not ‘Made in China’ label on all the watches, cameras. Thousands of
industries that are going to come up in these corridors will be the backbone of India. Crore of youths will be able to secure jobs
once this is completed.
BJP also has come with its manifesto. What have they done? They just copied our manifesto and encrypted BJP symbol into it. As
you know, we already have implemented one-rank-one-pension scheme for our soldiers across the country. But BJP manifesto
offers the same but it does not understand that this programme already is in operation. Same is the case with industrial corridor
project. BJP also copied our right to health proposal.
BJP never bothers about people; it never goes to masses. BJP thinks that only one man in the whole world possesses entire
knowledge. It wants to give the entire power to this person and BJP never respects people’s sentiments. BJP wants to make him

4. a chowkeedar (watchman) to solve all the issues in our country; But Congress wants to make every citizen a chowkeedar of our
nation. We want our people become watchmen of our country and hand over the keys of our nation to its people.
Nowadays, I see BJP poster with the promise of women empowerment. They talk about women empowerment but its cadres
beat up women in Bangalore. Karnataka Chief Minister had told me that one of BJP’s former ministers was charged with assault
on women. In BJP ruled Chhattisgarh, about 20000 women are missing. In Maharashtra, our Chief Minister uses his power to
serve people but in Gujarat, its Chief Minister uses entire strength to send policemen after a woman, to tap her phones. Still, BJP
talks about women empowerment!
BJP talks a lot of corruption but its manifesto does not include any action plan to fight graft. BJP just talks, but does nothing. It
was Congress which enacted RTI Act and Lokpal. RTI is a powerful tool to fight graft. All the information which were confined to
a selected bureaucrats or ministers, are now in public domain. There are 5 more anti-corruption bills are still pending in the
Parliament as the BJP opposes its passage. There is no specific action plans to fight graft in manifesto, blocking all our initiatives
to curb corruption but still BJP talks about eradicating corruption!
BJP just talks but does nothing. This time, they have sent up a new balloon – Gujarat balloon – ahead of elections. They spend
huge amounts for marketing it. But, I am sure after the elections, you will again hear a loud voice, that of bursting that huge
balloon.
Congress will again form a pro-poor government. We will strengthen the partnership between the poor and the industries.
You just listen to the speeches of Congress leaders. You can never hear any abuse or false comments by them. We do not have
anger. We want to promote a politics of love. We never abuse, even our enemies. But just examine what BJP is doing. They
indulge in a politics of anger. They keep on abusing our leaders and Congress party.
We need to have a politics of love, affection and brotherhood. That is what great leaders like Gandhi ji and Ambedkar Ji taught
us. We will continue to serve people and will fight for their rights.
Thank you.
Jai Hind.