Narendra Modi speaks further on Sonia Gandhi’s foreign trips issue

Gandhinagar, 2 October 2012

While speaking at a youth convention in Gandhinagar today afternoon, Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi further spoke on the issue of alleged Rs 1880 crore expenditure from govt treasury in last three years for Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s foreign trips.

Presented below is near perfect verbatim(original speech was in Hindi, here is the English translation) of relevant part of Modi’s speech.

“Yesterday in one public meeting, I showed the news published in one newspaper, and they started saying, “Modi is like this, Modi is like that, we will show Modi etc.”

“But instead of doing that, they should actually answer the questions.”

“A citizen of India doesn’t have right to know where the govt money is spent? Is it a crime to ask about the expenditure? Is this question wrong? The friends in govt of India always say in loud voices that they have created a great revolution by giving the right to information, they have strengthen the democracy etc. But then they should provide information in prescribed period of three months as per the law. But here, even after three years, they have not given reply. When they hide the details, the questions are bound to arise. The question is: ‘daal mein kuchh kaalaa hai, ki puri daal hi kaali hai?’ And they will have to reply this question.”

“Those Congress friends who say that Modi has lost mental balance and he should go to doctor should know that these six crore Gujaratis are my doctors, and they know well about my health.”

My Congress friends are unhappy with me, but I want to show them the way. This news report was published in the month of July. And it was published in many newspapers, not one. I read the report in October. Then why they have not issued clarification? If the report was false, why they did not take legal actions? The third point I want to clear is that I have not asked about Soniaji’s illness. Soniaji’s illness came to picture recently. But the questions (undr RTI) were asked before three years. And they were only about her traveling expenses. One should not make it an emotional issue. I myself tell the PM that the country should bear whatever expenses are needed for Soniaji’s treatment. It’s a human cause. But when a youth has filed RTI and you take proud over the introduction of RTI, then please give reply.”

“I read in that newspaper that Sonia spent Rs 1880 crore for foreign tours, means nearly Rs 2,000 crore. I asked merely because the newspaper mentioned it. If you want to shut my mouth then please give the details on total number of Sonia’s foreign tours since 2004, where did she stay, whether the cost was beared by the government of India etc. I have been threatened that if I seek the accounts, I will face the worst kind of allegations. Now they have already push CBI after me, what more they will do? Should I fear? Should I leave the battle of justice? I again say, I am not asking it to Soniaji, but to PM that nation wants to know, how much money were spent from GoI treasury?”