Patna,(BiharTimes): Noted campaigner against communalism Shabnam Hashmi of ANHAD, leading Hindi writer, Alok Dhanwa and social activists Arshad Ajmal and Rupesh have strongly denounce the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, for misusing huge amount of government funds and resources for his personal projection ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha poll.
Launching ‘Kachcha Chittha’ (Misdeeds)––a series of investigative stories exposing Narendra Modi and a new website www.secularstore.ne––Shabnam said on Wednesday that Rs 500 crore are spent annually on the personal projection of the Gujarat chief minister. A US public relations agency, Apco Worldwide, has been hired and money is spent lavishly in projecting him as the prime ministerial candidate. Everything is decided by the firm, she added.
She regretted that the rise in the power of the middle class via a corporate media, which aggressively pushes the agenda of ‘corruption-free efficiency’ at the cost of issues of social justice, secularism and democratic movements, is further pushing the Indian polity towards the Right.
The four said in a joint Press conference that Modi is being projected nationally as a leader who is clean, charismatic and a visionary. An image of a new leader is being created by hired PR agencies and event management companies. It is being repeatedly said that the new leader is going to change the face of India and solve all problems.
The facts, according to them, is something quite different. They said that they would continue to release a series of stories every 15 days to show how Modi has been misusing the government funds for his projection.
The Press Release said: “We, Anhad & other secular organisations, strongly believe that our democracy and secularism is directly under threat. The spectre of the country’s descent into fascism stares at us. The long reign of the UPA has not halted or arrested the march of the communal fascist forces; indeed there seems today to be a greater acceptance of ideas that we would call fascist.”
They said that blatant lies are special characteristics of projected Prime Minister. “There is clear misuse of Public funds spent without legal procedures and authorization,” they alleged.
For example the accounts of Sadbhavna Upwas of 2011 have not been settled till date.
“Modi announced huge projects for development of the host districts during his Sadbhavna Fast programmes. Many of the projects he announced were already part of the Municipal Corporation’s budget. Other projects like automation of solid waste management, recarpeting of roads, aforestation, fire brigade expansion, housing schemes for urban poor, the fund mainly comes from central government’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).”
“So in effect Modi diverted huge amount of public funds to organize his Sadbhavna fasts,” they charged adding that these facts are just tip of the iceberg and more stories would follow soon.
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