Sir Creek issue: Modi sharpens attack despite PMO denial

Ahmedabad: Despite the Prime Minister’s Office terming allegations on Sir Creek as “baseless” and “mischievous”, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi sharpened his attack on the Centre on Thursday alleging Prime Minister had agreed to resolve the issue soon during discussions with Pakistan’s president. “Is it not true that when Asif Ali Zardari was on a visit to Ajmer (in April 2012) you had lunch with him in Delhi? That time he raised the issue of Sir Creek,” Modi said, posing a query to the PM, while addressing rallies in Kutch and North Gujarat. [caption id=“attachment_556633” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP[/caption] “In Tehran things went ahead and on this issue you said in front of the world that a deal is possible,” he said. Modi, on Wednesday shot off a letter as a common man to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanding that the disputed Sir Creek should not be handed over to the neighbouring country. The PMO had strongly rebutted the charge by saying the allegations were “baseless” and “mischievous”. “The allegation in the letter that Sir Creek is about to be given to Pakistan is untrue. The other conclusions drawn by Modi on this alleged fact are also not real,” the PMO said responding to Modi’s letter. Modi had alleged in his letter that a decision was likely to be taken by the Centre over Sir Creek soon, and he as a common man was concerned about its security ramifications. Hitting back at the PMO’s denial, Modi cited instances like these in backdrop of the Prime Minister’s ‘denials’ on questions raised by him about Sir Creek. Modi asked Prime Minister ’not to mislead’ the nation and assure countrymen that ’no decision’ to give Sir Creek to Pakistan had been taken. Moving a step ahead, Modi said it was not only the Prime Minister, but also the Union Defence Minister who had expressed optimism about a deal on the disputed Sir Creek. “In August, our nation’s Union Defence Minister came to Porbandar. He said in Porbandar that talks are on with Pakistan on Sir Creek and there will be a way ahead,” Modi alleged, quoting the Defence Minister’s speech in Porbandar. “The Sir Creek question is not only about Kutch or Gujarat. It’s about the safety of the nation. It’s about our pride,” Modi said, on Twitter later. “UPA sold our sports with CWG scam, sold our technology with 2G scam. They even sold coal and with Sir Creek, they would sell the nation itself,” he tweeted. PTI