Free India from Congress clutches: Narendra Modi

Mumbai, Dec 22: BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the people to free India "from the clutches of the Congress" to resolve the problems plaguing the country. Addressing a huge rally at the BKC Ground here, Modi said both Maharashtra and Gujarat took birth May 1, 1960. But since then, while Gujarat had seen 14 chief ministers and Maharashtra had had 26.

"What kind of governance is here (Maharashtra)? One CM comes, another tries to chase him out," Modi said, adding that the Congress used divide-and-rule policy to remain in power.

"Our problems don't lie with population, geography, history or nature but are rooted in the successive Congress governments.

"If we want freedom from all the problems plaguing the nation, the country must be freed from Congress clutches," Modi said to applause and cheering.

Referring to Madhya Pradesh, he said it was earlier known as "a sick state". But after the Bharatiya Janata Party took charge of the state with Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the helm, there had been all-round progress.