Coming down heavily on the Opposition Congress, BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said that during the Congress rule before 1995, the people of Gujarat witnessed communal riots and more than 200 days of curfew in a year.
Taking a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi who questions development claims of the ruling party during his interaction with Gujarat Congress office-bearers at picturesque Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad last week, Shah said that greatest example of development in Gujarat was the venue (riverfront) where he addressed his party workers. Riverfront project materialised by the BJP-ruled Government in the State, he said adding that during the Congress rule the river was nothing but a filthy stream and now clean Narmada waters are flowing and with the riverfront development it has transformed into buzzing place.
‘‘Congress party shouldn’t question development in Gujarat as the oldest political party only pushed the State in religious riots and casteism. Annual Rath Yatra of lord Jagannath used to be attacked. People were scared to cross the river from western part of Ahmedabad before the BJP Government came into power in 1995,’’ said Shah while terming Rahul Gandhi as shahjada.
In an interaction programme with youngsters across the State using social media platform, the BJP president addressed the youth from Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay town hall in Ahmedabad. The event named – ‘Adikham Gujarat’ (undeterred Gujarat) in which BJP received over 4.7 lakh questions from youngsters for Shah in different platform – e-mail, facebook, twitter, direct questions as well as face to face, seeking answers on multiple issues facing the State that is set to witness Assembly polls by year-end. For the purpose digital platforms and video-conferencing facilities were established by Gujarat BJP at 312 locations across the State apart from the main function at town hall in Ahmedabad.
In an apparent attempt to strike a chord with the youngsters Shah said that youngsters were the future of Gujarat and they would play important role in the ensuing assembly polls. He gave statistics on various sectors right from the formation of the State in 1960 up to 1995 – the period when mostly Congress ruled Gujarat. He also shared figures of same sectors from 1995 up to 2017 – the period BJP ruled the State.
After sharing the figure he asked the youngsters that it would be up to them what kind of Gujarat they want a riot affected it used to be prior to 1995 or peaceful Gujarat post 1995.
‘‘Narmada Dam project was initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru before my birth. Now I am 53 years old. Rahul Baba you have to answer that why your party couldn’t complete the project which was started by your great Grandfather. Even it couldn’t complete when your father was Prime Minister,’’ he said, adding that now the project completed due to efforts of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will dedicate the project to the people on September 17.
The State Government is facing criticism over the road condition following heavy rains in parts of Gujarat. In this context, Shah said that resurfacing work of roads cannot be done during monsoon gave assurance that the work would begin by September 15 and completed before October end.
The BJP chief also answered few questions from audiences face-to-face as well as on video conferencing from Surat, Rajkot, Valasad etc. Replying a question on Patidar pro-quota agitation, he said that Patidars will have to follow legal process to be included in OBC category. He however said that people from Patidar community joined the agitation being emotional but those who are controlling the agitation are having political motive and as the election dates would come close the picture would get clear. He also gave reply on GST terming it as modern taxation system. According to him the Government would hear every issue related to GST and try to solve it in next six months. On a question related to Dalit atrocity in Una, he said the incident was unfortunate but as per the statistics, such cases are lowest in Gujarat compared to other States.
No need to miss Modi in Gujarat
Replying a surprise question from a youngster on Narendra Modi was being missed in his home-State Gujarat over the past 2-3 years and what the BJP would like to do on this; Shah said there was no need to miss the Prime Minister in the State as he placed Gujarat on the auto-mode of development. ‘‘In fact being Prime Minister he is doing much for the development of the State. Who is more powerful, the Chief Minister or the Prime MinisterIJ’’ he replied.