Rajkot, Aug 15 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday charged the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre with patronizing NGOs that were working against the interests of Gujarat and harassing its police.

In his Independence Day address here, Modi said: ‘Such NGOs are being funded from the government treasury with the sole aim of thwarting the development march of the Gujarat in the name of the common man. Under the guise of ‘manav adhikar'(human rights) Delhi seems to be more worried about the ‘danav adhikar’ (devil’s rights).’

Earlier, in his televised address, Modi sought to warn against a ‘multi-faced army of supporters that was protecting terror elements within the country’.

‘Some sweet talk their way through, others work to protect them from the law and yet others who seek to do their dirty work for them by defaming the law enforcers and the administration. Such people must be identified and exposed,’ he added.

The chief minister was also critical of the Gujarat Congress, without naming it, for keeping away from the official Independence Day function. ‘Only terrorists (atankwadis) boycott such official functions and they are enemies of the country. I hope better sense dawns on those who chose to do so in Gujarat today.’