DEHRADUN: Dedicating infrastructure projects worth Rs 17,500 crore to the people of Uttarakhand on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused previous governments of looting the state and doing nothing for its development, resulting in largescale migration of people. Though he did not take any names, the obvious target was the Congress.
"You have seen those people, too, who used to say that 'take anything from Uttarakhand but save my government'. They used to loot Uttarakhand with both hands," Modi said while addressing the 'Vijay Sankalp' rally at Haldwani in Nainital district.
His reference was to a purported video of 2016 in which Congress leader and then CM Harish Rawat was allegedly heard negotiating a money deal to buy back rebel MLAs' support.
Stating that people of Uttarakhand had seen two streams of thought - one that wants to keep the hills deprived of development and the other that work day and night for their development - the PM said that several generations of people in the villages were deprived of roads, water and other basic facilities by previous governments.
"Shouldn't such people be punished? Can one be trapped in the illusion of their false promises again While I correct their mistakes, you teach them a lesson," Modi exhorted the crowd.
The PM asserted that the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state had done unprecedented development in Uttarakhand whereas other political parties "have always insulted our soldiers and deprived them of everything - one rank one pension, arms, facilities and respect".
Playing the religion card, he mentioned that Kedarnath, Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya, linking religious tourism with generation of employment and revenue. "Biggest beneficiaries of these projects will be the people. We can see that when facilities increased in Kedarnath, the number pilgrims are breaking records," he said.
The PM also harped on the "double engine government" saying, "new roads, railway projects, hydropower projects, tourism sector, attraction for yoga and home stay movement are making this decade the decade of Uttarakhand".
Religious tourism focus
Modi mentioned Kedarnath, Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya, linking religious tourism with generation of employment and revenue, claiming biggest beneficiaries of these projects will be the people
