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Mehsana, Sept 11 (IBNS): Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off his month-long state-wide rath yatra (chariot tour) from Becharaji town in Mehsana district.
Considered to be the beginning of Modi's electoral campaign for the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls, the chariot tour will cover 182 constituencies across the state.
The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader urged people to make Gujarat a 'Congress-free' state.
He alleged the Congress 'misuses' the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to target him.
"You all take a pledge today we need a Congress-free Gujarat just like a gutka-free Gujarat," Modi said while addressing a gathering at Becharaji on the first day of his ‘Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra'.
He said the Congress criticises any constitutional authority that 'raises questions on them'.
Slamming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the coal block allocation scam, he said: "I have faced several probes. Now, let the Prime Minister face a SIT (Special Investigation Team) probe on the coal block allocation issue."
Earlier, before starting the yatra, Modi tweeted: "Embarking on a month long ‘Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra’ from Becharaji."
He started the yatra in the presence of top party leaders like Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley.
Pertinently, Modi commenced his tour on a day when spiritual leader Swami Vivekanada gave his historic speech at the Chicago Conference of World Religions in 1893.
Modi wrote on his blog: "It was on this day back in 1893 that Swami Vivekananda addressed the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. With just a few words, 'Sisters and Brothers of America', this great soul had reverberated India’s message of unifying the human race, to the entire world."
"On this historic day, I will be embarking on ‘Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra’ from the holy town of Becharaji with the blessings of Bahuchar Mata," he said.
"Swami Vivekananda envisioned a ‘Samarth’ and ‘Samradha’ Bharat (strong and developed India) and during the course of the Yatra, I seek to cover every corner of Gujarat and this message of Swami ji to the youth of the state. Being the year of Swami ji’s 150th birth anniversary, Gujarat is commemorating 2012 as ‘Yuva Shakti Varsh’ and I am sure quests such as this will be extremely enriching," Modi said.
According to reports, he is using the same 'rath' (chariot) that was used by BJP patriarch LK Advani during his 'Jan Chetna Yatra' in 2011.
According to reports, Modi is going to travel through various places in north Gujarat including Chanhasma, Dhinoj, Jotana,Kadi, Thol and Modhera.
The assembly elections in Gujarat will take place later this year.