Gandhinagar:
Calling CBI 'Congress Bureau of Investigation', Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the agency of "conspiring" against officers and ministers of his state at the behest of their political masters.
Modi, who has been made head of BJP's campaign committee for 2014 elections, also lashed out at the Congress-led UPA government and said he is not going to be bogged down by the fear of CBI.
"With every passing day, this government is hatching conspiracies and their biggest tool is CBI. It is Congress Bureau of Investigation," he said.
"I warn all those.. who are trying to appease their political masters by becoming a potent tool in their hands, to trouble ministers and officers of Gujarat and are conspiring to put them in jail," Modi said in an apparent reference to CBI.
"They are not doing the right thing which is within the dignified limits of a democratic set up," he said.
"Nation has lost faith in CBI," he claimed. Apparently upset after reading media reports that CBI may indict more officers and ministers of Gujarat in connection with Ishrat Jahan encounter case, Modi said, "Today, I read in newspapers all about CBI. The Congress government in Delhi should not attempt to terrorise us with CBI."
Noting that "politicisation of CBI" has been done to trouble innocent people, Modi said, "Truth must be presented as truth."
"Do not spread lies to defame Gujarat.. and attempts to tarnish the state's image should be stopped," he said, while addressing youths at an employment certificate award ceremony held here.
Modi said the Delhi government should devote more time on rescue those suffering in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand.
"No matter how much force you put...how much you conspire to spoil innocent lives...but just due to CBI threat we will not deviate from the path of Gujarat's development...and we shall continue with our development journey," he said.
"Just because of the fear of CBI, we will not let the future of youths get spoilt in Gujarat," he asserted.
The government intends to give appointment letters to over 40,000 youths within a week's time.
Modi also announced that his government will increase 10,000 seats in ITI.
"An online admission process will begin for ITIs.. I have been told that over two lakh applications have been received so far," Modi said.
