Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to his poll-bound home state Gujarat, joined the “development” debate and applauded his successors in Gujarat for carrying out good work.
On Ocober 7, Modi attended various functions in Chotila and Gandhinagar. On Oct 8, he will visit his birthplace Vadnagar in North Gujarat. This will be his first visit to Vadnagar after becoming the Prime Minister.
The BJP in Gujarat has been stung by social media campaign “Vikas gando thayo che” (development has gone berserk) and it has come with a campaign to counter the critics, “Hun Chu Vikas, Hun Chu Gujarat” (I am development, I am Gujarat).
In a reply to those mocking development, Modi while laying foundation stone of a greenfield airport at Chotila, near Rajkot, asked the gathering whether they ever imagined that an airport would come up at Chotila.
Can coming up of an airport be called development, he asked and people replied in affirmative. He continued, “Is such a development necessary, should such development take place, will it change the future of the state, will it change your children's future?” The gathering replied in affirmative by shouting “Modi Modi...”
Modi asserted that it is impossible to provide houses for the poor without development.
Taking a dig at the previous governments at the Centre, Modi said that installing a hand pump was an indication of development back then and now the indication of development is taking Narmada waters through pipelines to villages and homes.
The Prime Minister said that development would follow once the airport gets completed and it would lead to a healthy competition between Surendranagar and Rajkot districts. He said that only 4 per cent land had to be bought from the farmers and rest of the 96 per cent land was lying useless.
At another programme in Jamnagar, Modi took on one of the most successful chief ministers of Gujarat Madhavsinh Solanki. He recalled that 38 years ago, Solanki's photo of inaugurating a water tank was published on the first page of a newspaper. “Such narrow was their vision of development,” the Prime Minister alleged, reminding the people that now the government is making bridges and roads.
State Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki, who is Solanki's son, reacted sharply to Modi's allegations. Giving basic amenities was the need of the hour then and the project was to supply water to 37 villages of Dwarka area, Bharatsinh said.
After launching Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) while inaugurating the newly constructed building at IIT Gandhinagar, sources said that, Modi held a meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and a couple of leaders from the party to discuss about upcoming polls.
