AGENCY
Gorakhpur: Denouncing politics of casteism and nepotism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pitched for a BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to promote politics of development but skipped any mention of the raging controversy surrounding Dalits.
“You (people) don’t need those who play politics of casteism and nepotism. You have filled everyone’s pocket but has your pocket been filled.
“My dear youths, nepotism and poison of casteism will not help in development. Support politics of ‘Visasvad’ (development). I am here to urge you to bless me with your support as you have done earlier (in Lok Sabha polls),” he said at a public meeting in an apparent attack on the main opposition parties in the State without naming them.
Exhorting the people of poll-bound UP to shun ported everybody. But did they support you as well? Were youths and farmers benefited?”
In a speech delivered after laying foundation stone for an AIIMS and revival of a sick fertiliser plant, Modi skipped any reference to the raging controversy stoked by one of his party leader’s attack on Mayawati or the violence against Dalits in Gujarat. He focused his speech on his efforts to boost state’s development.
The Prime Minister also accused the state’s Samajwadi Party government of being unable to spend the central fund for the state’s health sector and asked people to choose a government next year which could run for them like him.
“I have given Rs 7,000 crore to the state. This is not less for the health sector but the state government has only utilised Rs 2,850 crore as there is a provision to show utilisation for taking rest amount. This happened as the state government did not have the strength,” Modi said. “The government which cannot work for the health doesn’t deserve to continue,” he added.
The Prime Minister said the revival of the fertiliser plant is going to bring a big change as gas-based economy will start with supply of gas in Gorakhpur through Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline. “The gas being brought by the pipeline for the factory will go to every household in Gorakhpur and in a same way water is supplied through pipe. If electricity and gas are provided, then industrialists line up. It is a beginning of an industrial revolution in the eastern UP.
“It is not merely inauguration of a factory but the start of a victory march that will defeat poverty, unemployment…,” he said.
The Prime Minister said if the second green revolution will start then it will start from eastern UP. He said that after taking over as Prime Minister, he stopped black marketing of urea and this was the reason farmers were no longer required to face batons to get urea. “But I can proudly say that in past 1.5 years, I did not get any letter from CMs for fertiliser as we have checked its black marketing and initiated ways to check their use by chemical factories by using neem coating. Now its easily available in the market”, he said. “In future, we will not import urea but are also making plans to make urea in foreign countries and bring it here”, he said.
Giving credit for the foundation laying of AIIMS and revival of fertiliser plant to the people of the state, Modi said, “If someone says that the plant closed for 26 years will reopen because of me, he is wrong. Had the people of state did not give me mandate to form a strong government, this would not have been possible,”.
“You have made a government at Centre, which believes in working. The credit goes to you all. If you elect a government keeping in mind your interests, the government also keeps in mind you interests and works on it,” he said.
Modi said he has often asked “when he sleeps” but “you people have elected representatives, who don’t let me sleep”. PTI
