Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday stepped up his attack on the Congress, alleging large-scale corruption during the previous UPA government and contrasting its record with railway spending under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government.
Addressing a gathering at Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Station, HM Shah said Congress leaders should discuss their record with the public using figures, as he sought to link the difference in railway allocations for Gujarat with what he described as a “wider difference” in governance.
“What did you do in 10 years apart from scams, scandals and corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore?” the Home Minister said, referring to the previous Congress-led government.
He then contrasted that with the record of the Modi government, saying no allegation of corruption involving even “four annas” had been levelled against the Prime Minister during his 12 years.
The “Rs 12 lakh crore” figure is a claim that HM Shah has used previously in describing alleged corruption during the previous government.
The Home Minister’s criticism came during a programme at Sabarmati where a number of railway projects were inaugurated or launched, giving him a platform to compare infrastructure spending under the two periods.
He focused particularly on Gujarat’s railway allocations.
HM Shah said Gujarat received Rs 589 crore annually for railways during 2009-14, while the allocation for 2026-27 had risen to Rs 17,366 crore.
The comparison is supported by Railway Ministry figures. An official release put the annual average allocation for Gujarat at Rs 17,366 crore, describing the increase as more than 29 times.
The Home Minister said Congress leaders should come forward for a discussion “with figures” and criticised what he called their “nonsense” claims about the present government’s performance.
The developments at Sabarmati were part of a broader transformation of the railway network.
The programme included the inauguration of a Rs 700-crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed, commissioning of ‘Kavach’ on key Ahmedabad Division sections, automatic signalling works, doubling of the Sabarmati–Sarkhej section and the launch of India’s first LNG-powered train.
HM Shah also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and railway officials for the redevelopment of Sabarmati station and the expansion of rail facilities in the area.
Referring to his own earlier visits to the station, he said its connectivity had changed significantly, with links to the Metro and state transport facilities now available.
(IANS)
