Rahul Gandhi promised a ministry for fisheries if the party comes to power
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised to create a separate ministry for fisheries if the party comes to power at the Centre. He criticised the BJP government in Gujarat for stopping the subsidy given to fishermen to buy diesel for their boats. Gandhi, during his address to the fishermen at this coastal town on the first day of his two-day campaign tour of Gujarat, expressed confidence that the Congress will emerge victorious in the state, where the party has been out of power for 22 years. "When Congress was in power, fishermen used to get 25 per cent subsidy on the purchase of diesel. That subsidy, which was just Rs 300 crore (per annum), has been abolished by the BJP government here. What kind of magic is this? They can give Rs 33,000 crore for Nano factory but they cant give Rs 300 crore to you," he asked. "I have learnt that now you have to go deeper into the sea to catch fish. Why? Because of pollution. But, who caused this? Definitely not the fishermen. It was caused by some 10- 15 industrialists who are Modiji's friends...He took all your money and gave it to those 10-15 persons," he alleged. Gandhi added that instead of doing anything concrete for the fishermen, Modi has gifted ports to "some of his industrialist friends". Rahul Gandhi is in Gujarat for two days to lead his party's election campaign ahead of the first phase of polling on 89 Assembly seats next month. -PTC News
