Panchayat Aaj Tak: Amit Shah retorts to 'Vikas gando thayo chhe', says it mocks Gujaratis

For the first time, BJP president Amit Shah sought to give an effective reply to Congress' social media campaign 'Vikas gando thayo chhe' (Vikas has gone crazy), mocking the Gujarat model of development.

Speaking at 'Panchayat Aaj Tak' in Ahmedabad today, Shah attempted to rake up the Gujarati pride to counter 'Vikas gando thayo chhe'.

He said, "Vikas unke liye mazaak udaane ka sadhan hai, maakhaul udaane ka sadhan hai. Vikas BJP ka mizaaz hai, swabhaav hai. Vikas ka mazzak udaa rahey hain, unko maalum nahi wo Gujarat ka mazzak udaa rahey hain. Hazaaron croreon gareebon ke ghar mein shauchalay, bank account, bijli, paani pahucha - uska mazaak udaa rahey hain."

Translated to English, it would mean, "Development for them (Congress and other opposition parties) is a means to ridicule people. They are making fun of development but they are not aware that they are mocking Gujarat. They are ridiculing the development activities such as providing toilet, bank account, power and water to the poor."

Shah conceded that the Congress had taken a slight lead over the BJP regarding the social media campaign. However, he alleged that the Opposition's campaign on the social media was based on distorted facts, rumours and manipulations.The BJP president said every time just before elections, the Congress seeks to give the impression that the BJP was losing in Gujarat. "It happened in 2002, 2007 and also in 2012. But every time BJP under Narendra Modi won the Assembly elections with two-thirds majority... We will win by three-fourths majority in the upcoming elections," he claimed.

He said the BJP governments since 1995 had carried out maximum development activities in all sectors. "Even if there is dissatisfaction among a few regarding jobs, it is only the BJP, and not the Congress, which can solve their problem," he said.

The 'Vikas gando thayo chhe' campaign picked up after a supporter of Patel-Patidar reservation movement leader Hardik Patel posted a picture on social media of an upturned government vehicle.

The Congress was quick to pick it up and turn it into a major campaign mocking the BJP's Gujarat model of development by posting memes, caricatures and cartoons on the social media.

The BJP has been trying to counter the Congress' campaign but not with much success. Today, Amit Shah tried to link the opposition's social media campaign to 'Gujarati asmita (pride)'.