Today Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela criticised PM Narendra Modi of adopting “double standard”as he refused to wear Muslim skull-cap in Ahmedabad during his sadbhavna campaign. He visited Abu Dhabi’s Jama Masjid to lure investments in India. “It is just double standard and highly shameful,” added Vaghela. On Modi’s claim that Abu Dhabi’s rulers announced to allocate land for a temple in Dubai, Vaghela said that the land in question was in fact gifted to the Swaminarayans by an Arab businessman in 2013 and it was in the process of being handed over for the temple. “But PM showed it in such a manner as if the UAE government gave the land in his honour. This is total falsehood and highly disappointing coming from the mouth of a PM”, remarked the Congress leader. He said that there were several temples in Dubai, one of them Srinathji ki Haveli for the last 70 years. There was also a Shiv temple and a Gurudwara there.
Vaghela criticsed Modi for saying that he was the 1st PM to visit UAE after a gap of 34 years. “Modi should ask Vajpayee as to why did he not visit UAE when he was PM for 5 years during 1999 to 2004,” said Vaghela. “It is so bad for a prime minister to make criticism of country’s leaders in foreign lands,” said Vaghela, adding Modi was involved in self-marketing by organising public meetings in foreign countries at public expenditure. Referring to BJP leaders demand to get the properties of Dawood Ibrahim seized in Dubai and other parts of UAE, Vaghela said that the process should begin from Mumbai itself where BJP is ruling. “Dawood is reported to have properties worth Rs. 500 crore in Mumbai. Why is the BJP government not taking it over?”
