GUWAHATI: In a veiled attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said those who came to power after Independence could not understand the significance of places of worship and set a trend of being ashamed of the country’s culture and past for political reasons.
Addressing a gathering in Guwahati after virtually inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for a number of projects in Assam – including the Kamakhya temple corridor project – worth Rs 11,599 crore, Modi said no country can grow by erasing its past.
He said he was happy that the situation changed in the past 10 years after the BJP’s policies focussed on vikas (development) and virasat (heritage). Modi added that connecting Assam’s historical and spiritual places with modern facilities is a move aimed at preserving these sites and accelerating development.
Noting the growing enthusiasm for spiritual tourism in the country, he mentioned the record footfall of devotees in Varanasi after the completion of the Kashi corridor. “In the past year, 8.5 crore people visited Kashi, more than 5 crore visited Mahakal Lok in Ujjain and over 19 lakh devotees visited Kedardham,” the PM said.
He noted that more than 24 lakh people visited Ayodhya after the Ram Temple consecration. He said a similar spectacle would unfold in Guwahati after the Kamakhya corridor project, adding that spiritual tourism can boost the livelihood of even the pooerest.
Apart from the Rs 498 crore Kamakhya corridor project, the other major projects coming up in Assam include a six-lane road from the new airport terminal (Rs 358 crore) in Guwahati, upgradation of Nehru Stadium to FIFA standards (Rs 831 crore), a new sports complex in Chandrapur (Rs 300 crore), upgradation of 43 roads, including 38 bridges, as a part of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Corridor Connectivity at a cost of over Rs 3,400 crore.