Mehsana: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who launched his month-long campaign in the poll-bound state on Tuesday, will continue with the yatra for the second day on Wednesday.
Targeting the Congress on Tuesday, Modi said the party was "misusing" the Central Bureau of Investigation against him. He also demanded that the Prime Minister should face a SIT probe in the alleged coal block allocation scam.
Seeking a fourth term in office, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader also slammed the Congress for "attacking the constitutional authorities", accusing it of whipping up an atmosphere of anger against the government auditor CAG like it did against the Supreme Court in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
Signalling that he would fight the coming polls on the plank of "injustice meted out to Gujarat", Modi struck an aggressive tone to kickstart his 2012 month-long campaign through Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra from the holy town of Becharaji in Mehsana.
He appealed to people to work towards "Congress-free Gujarat" on the lines of "gutka-free Gujarat" to wipe out "cancer". Assembly elections in the state are due in December this year.
"I have faced multiple probes, now let the Prime Minister face a SIT probe on coal block allocations," he said, adding "To corner me, they form an SIT whenever they want to."
"I appeal to him (Manmohan Singh) and Congress to come forward and have a competition in facing probes," Modi said adding, "Let us see who has more prowess in facing such probes."
Blaming the UPA government for the current economic situation, he said the Prime Minister should follow the Gujarat model of development.
Addressing a huge gathering in the presence of former BJP president Rajnath Singh and the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitely, Modi exuded confidence that the BJP would easily retain power.
(With additional information from PTI)