Modi blows own trumpet, heaps sarcasm on state

Attempting to project Gujarat as larger than country, he said even India had reached 50 years of its independence but the event went unnoticed while celebrations of Gujarat's 50th year seem to be surpassing all records. Speaking in Gujarati, Modi used the typical Amdvadadi jargon to take swipes at the Centre and other Congress-ruled states.

He said "mey badha booch band karee karee deedha che, chowkidar banee ne baitho choo ke koi Panjo nahin mari sake," (I have corked all the holes, so that no 'hand' can dare to grab the treasure), a clear reference to keeping Congress at bay from his state. He did not spare even Mahatma Gandhi. "Giving is in Gujarati culture, we have learnt from Gandhiji to give away everything, (indirect reference to conceding to the demand of Pakistan)," he said.

He quickly added that even Sardar Patel, the Gujarati ideal appropriated by BJP, had the same quality of being generous. The comment came as he said that Gujarat had now become a power surplus state and was supplying electricity to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Taking at a dig at Maharashtra from which Gujarat was carved out, he asserted his state had left the big brother far behind. "Does anyone have a health card in your state? In my state every farmer has a health card for his soil. We have cataract and dental treatment camps for cattle, you must be having it for humans in your state," he said condescendingly.