A day after Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said that the tea stall in Vadnagar, Gujarat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi sold tea during his childhood would be developed into tourist spot, he made a U-turn.
"The ministry of tourism, along with the ministry of railways, is planning to develop the Vadnagar railway station as a tourist destination. We have already discussed the plans. As of now, there are no plans to give any facelift to the tea stall," PTI quoted Sharma's statement.
The minister had visited Modi's birthplace on Sunday and inspected plans for the beautification of the town. The Rs 100 crore project will assist in the development of Vadnagar and Modhera where the famous sun temple is located.
The minister was earlier quoted saying that, while the original charm of the tea stall would be maintained, a modern touch would be given.
During its election campaign, especially in the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has fully exploited Modi's humble beginnings. Even Modi had time and again mentioned how his parents struggled to raise him and his siblings.
Chai pe charcha (discussion over tea) organized by the BJP, ahead of elections, had become very popular.
Spokesperson of Gujarat Congress Manish Doshi criticised the move to develop the railway station and alleged that in the last three years, the NDA had only done such things. He further alleged that in the name of development, the government wanted to sell off the Indian Railways.
Doshi also alleged that the number of rail accidents had increased.
