THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hitting out at Congress, BJP President Amit Shah today charged the previous UPA government with 'plundering' the country through scams while asserting that the Narendra Modi government had mobilised huge revenues during its one-year rule.
"While the UPA government plundered Rs 10 lakh crore in the country in 76 scams, the present NDA government under Narendra Modi could mobilise Rs 2 lakh crore by auctioning 20 of the 230 mines and Rs one lakh crore through spectrum auctions," Shah said.
He was inaugurating BJP's 'Secretariat siege' as part of the party's agitation against UDF government for alleged corruption in governance and "adjustment agitation" by CPI (M) led Opposition.
The meeting took place amidst heavy rains in the city.
On the Congress jibe about Prime minister's frequent foreign trips, he said the respect received by Modi during his overseas visits was not for any particular person or BJP government, but for the people of the country.
"It is not respect for a particular person or BJP government. But to the 125 crore people of the country," he added.
Stating that India was able to improve its relations with various countries during the last one year, he said earlier when some Prime Ministers went abroad, not many used to know.
"But now, if Narendra Modi goes to US, Germany, Fiji, or Bhutan, wherever he goes, thousands throng to welcome him," he said.
Shah also rejected the Congress criticism that the BJP was 'anti poor' and 'anti farmer' saying 'it is a government which works for the benefit of the poor and downtrodden'.
"Modi government's focus was on the poorest of the poor among the 125 crore people who had been neglected by the Congress for the last 68 years," Shah said, adding they were given financial inclusion by ensuring bank accounts and also new insurance policy.
The Modi government has waged a big war against unemployment through its 'Make In India' and 'Skills Development' campaigns aimed to give employment to jobless youth, he said.
Dismissing Congress allegations that the BJP government was 'anti farmer', Shah said the NDA had brought in various laws to help the farming community.
It had also brought about a transformation (Parivarthan) by revoking archaic laws of the British raj, he added.
The NDA government also ensured 50 per cent increase in compensation for crop loss, he said.
Pointing out that the BJP led government had laid lot of importance to the country's security, the party President alleged when the UPA government was in power, there were daily incidents of Pak firing in Kashmir.
"But now, the BJP government had started reciprocating in the same way to the Pak firing-- 'Goli ka jawab goli se'," he said.
Attacking the Congress led UDF in Kerala, Shah said it was time to 'uproot' the 'corrupt' front and usher in change.
"It is not the UDF or LDF which will help the state, but BJP that can bring in development," he said, adding the party workers should strive to 'free' the state from Congress rule.
The four years of UDF is synonymous with "misgovernance, corruption" he said, referring to the solar and bar bribery scams. The transformation brought by the Modi government should come to Kerala also, he said.
Cautioning against the attack on party workers, he said, "I am warning you. You cannot silence BJP with violence."