Secularism is development: Modi

BIDAR: The secular vs communal debate between the Congress and BJP is getting hotter. BJP's PM nominee Narendra Modi on Wednesday said secularism meant development for his party, while it meant vote-bank politics for the Congress.
Addressing an election rally at Bidar, he said he respects every tradition and culture that is secular. "Secularism means development with uniting.But for the Congress, it is only vote-bank politics. Secularism is a way of development, taking everybody together,'' he said.
He claimed he has been thinking day and night about employment, stopping corruption, farmers' suicide and price rise in the country. The BJP strongman said he would bring back black money stashed away by Indians in foreign countries.
Modi alleged that the Congress manifesto was a dhoka patra (letter of betrayal) and said the party had made the promise of generating 10 crore jobs before the 2009 elections also.
"This will be the first election in the country in which the Congress will not even get a single seat in many states. We will touch the 300 mark,'' he said.