Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused Congress of ignoring Dr B R Ambedkar's contribution to the development of water resources in the country as he laid the foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking at the program at Khajuraho, Modi also said that in the 21st century, only the nations with adequate and well-managed water resources can advance. The PM's comments came amid the controversy over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks about Ambedkar and the Opposition Congress's nationwide protests over the issue.

Ambedkar's vision and farsightedness contributed significantly to the strengthening of the country's water resources, their management and dam construction, Modi said. Ambedkar played a crucial role in the development of major river valley projects and formation of the Central Water Commission, he added.

However, the Congress party never paid heed to the country's growing need of water conservation, and never recognised Ambedkar's efforts as a water conservationist, Modi said. "The major challenge of the 21st century is water security. In the 21st century only those countries who have adequate water resources with proper management will move forward," he said.

 The PM on this occasion also inaugurated the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project in Khandwa district of the state virtually, and laid the foundation stone of the Daudhan Irrigation Project, part of the river-linking project.

Union Water Resources Minister C R Patil and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav handed over two kalash (urns) containing water from Betwa and Ken rivers, respectively, to Modi, who poured it over a model of the project to launch the river linking work. Congress and governance do not go together, he said, adding that past Congress governments delayed projects for 35-40 years after laying their foundation stones.

The Ken-Betwa river linking will open new doors of prosperity and happiness in the Bundelkhand region, said the PM. Nearly 44 lakh people in ten districts of Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh in Uttar Pradesh will get drinking water under the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 44,605 crore. Nearly 7.18 lakh agricultural families in 2,000 villages will benefit from the project, which will also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy, officials said.

Modi also released a commemorative stamp and a coin in the memory of former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth centenary on this occasion. The Vajpayee government had proposed river linking as a solution for the country's irrigation needs as well as for dealing with floods. PM Modi also performed `bhumi pujan' or ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of 1,153 Atal Gram Sewa Sadans costing Rs 437 crore at the Khajuraho program.