Sonia Gandhi reaches Rajkot, kicks off Congress campaign for Gujarat polls

Rajkot: Congress President Sonia Gandhi kicked off her party's campaign in Rajkot on Wednesday for the Gujarat Assembly elections. After reaching Rajkot, she first visited the Ramakrishna Mission in Rajkot where she met the priests there. She paid her respects and was also presented a magazine by the Ashram. She will address a rally at Rajkot and sources say Sonia is likely to announce drought relief packages for Gujarat's farmers.

Her visit comes a day after Chief Minister Narendra Modi targeted her for the second time, by claiming that the government had wasted over Rs 1,800 crore of public money on her foreign tours and treatment abroad. "For Sonia madam's health the country is willing to spend as much as possible. The country never backs down for a humanitarian cause. I am not questioning Sonia Gandhi. I am questioning Manmohan," Modi said. It now remains to be seen whether Sonia will counter Narendra Modi's allegations.

Modi on Tuesday kept up the attack on Sonia saying if the newspaper reports mentioning the details of the expenditure incurred on her foreign trips and treatment abroad were wrong, why did the ruling party shy away from taking legal action. "I would want to tell the Congress that this news was in newspapers many months back. Why did the government not get time to respond to the reports? If the reports were wrong, why didn't they taken legal action?" he asked.

"The Congress keeps changing its directions. How can they be trusted? Congress does not even know how to show direction to the people. Doesn't an Indian citizen have the right to know the details of the money being spent by the government?" the Gujarat CM asked.

More embarrassment for Modi as RTI activist questions his travel expenses

There is more embarrassment for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a social activist in Vadodara has accused Modi's office of failing to share information for more than five years on his travel expenses for women sammelans. Activist Trupti Shah had filed the RTI application in 2007.

The government gave her information on the total expenses incurred on events in 27 districts but didn't specify how much was spent on Modi's travel alone. Trupti Shah has sent a letter to Modi saying information about his and his Ministers' travel-related expenses during 'women empowerment sammelans' had not been provided till date.

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