Congress begins counter fast, dub Modi's fast as '5-star'

Ahmedabad:  Gujarat Congress leaders Shankarsinh Vaghela and Arjun Modhvadia today began their fast as a counter to Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day fast here. The Congress leaders launched their fast an hour before Modi’s fast which began at around 10 AM. The Congress has dubbed Modi’s fast as “five star” as it being held in an air-conditioned hall. Vaghela and Modhvadia are sitting on a footpath in front of Sabarmati Ashram, the Opposition leaders pointed out. [caption id=“attachment_86105” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Screen grab from ibnlive.com”]  [/caption] “In today’s administration, where five and seven star culture is being used as a weapon for image building in self interest, I want to ask through you people (media), what was the necessity to go on a fast. Have heavens fallen on the public of Gujarat?” he said while talking to reporters. “What was the necessity to spend several crores of public money. If he wanted to fast, he (Modi) could have done that at home also. As Chief Minister there was no necessity to do such a `tamasha’ (public show off). “It is a corrupt Government, a Government which has been running away from Lokayukta, and we want to show this to the people of country,” the former Chief Minister said. “There are allegations of corruption against the Government. The state public debt has mounted to Rs 1.30-lakh crore, about which the people of Gujarat are not aware. This is the kind of development we are talking about,” Vaghela said. PTI