New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was on February 6 involved in a spat with two leading industrialists on the issue of law and order in the state and lashed out at the industry for repeatedly raking up the issue.

"I took the initiative to come and renew my friendship with CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)... It has been a year since the incident took place. What is your vested interest in raking up this issue?" he asked at an interactive session with the apex chamber.

"What is the need to bring up these issues after one year? Some people have vested interest in keeping the issue alive," Modi said provoked by queries on law and order and safety and security of investors in Gujarat made by leading industrialists Rahul Bajaj and Jamshed N Godrej.

"I am ready to answer all queries at a separate forum and you can call your pseudo- secular friends too," Modi said.

Godrej said the overwhelming mandate in the Assembly elections had only increased the responsibility of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to ensure economic development, well-being, security and safety.

After Modi's strong remarks, Bajaj clarified he asked about law and order not to rake up the past incidents but to know about the investment environment in future.

Describing Gujarat as the most peaceful state in the country, Modi reeled out statistics to claim that the state had attracted Rs 8,000 crore worth foreign investment in the past eight months.

Even the Planning Commission has fixed a growth target of more than 10 per cent for Gujarat as against 8 per cent for the entire country and "it has not made any query about law and order".

PTI