Congress leaders might be making mockery of development by launching social media campaign but once ballot boxes would open they would get apt reply from the people of Gujarat, claimed BJP national president Amit Shah after flagging off a fortnight long ‘Gujarat Gaurav Yatra’ from Sardar Patel’s birthplace Karamsad on Sunday.
Expressing his party’s thumping victory in the ensuing Assembly polls to be conducted in December this year, the BJP chief further said that the Opposition party was trying to spread lies by camouflaging reality of development through slogans and social media campaign but development would continue to remain priority and mission for the BJP.
‘‘Sardar Patel spent his entire life in the service of people. Unfortunately the Congress party didn’t acknowledge it and ignored him. Especially the Nehru family kept him away despite the fact he was the most deserving politician to become Prime Minister,’’ said Shah while addressing a public meeting here.
Coming down heavily on the Opposition party he said that it was the Congress that ignored Sardar Patel from conferring the highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’. Not only that, even a statue of Patel was not erected in the Parliament complex, he continued to attack the Congress party.
‘‘Rahul Gandhi wants accounts for the development in Gujarat. We demand accounts on injustice done by three generations of Nehru-Gandhi family to the people of Gujarat. People want answers of injustice to the State’s two sons — Sardar Patel and Morarji Desai,’’ he said targeting Congress vice-president who during Gujarat visit recently demanded accounts on development claims of ruling BJP.
People of India have accepted Modi Model of development which is corruption free, said Shah adding that allocation of funds to Gujarat from the Central Government increased substantially after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India.
Congress Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid foundation stone for the Narmada Project way back in 1961 but the Congress Governments kept on delaying the project for four decades, he said adding that the project completed only after BJP-ruled Modi Government came into power in 2014.
‘‘Right from freedom up to 1995 under Congress rule electricity production in Gujarat was nearly 36700 MW which under BJP rule in the past two decades has already crossed 1 lakh MW. Till 1995 there were 73.78 lakh vehicles in the State but in the past 20 years the figure has cross 2 crore,’’ said Shah adding that the production of cotton was around 24 lakh bales till 1995 which has gone up to 1.24 crore in 2017.
Production of fruit in the State jumped from 21.29 lakh metric tons to 85 lakh metric tons during the corresponding period. Milk production too increased considerably from 46.9 lakh metric tons to 122.26 lakh metric tons. During the period of 1995 to 2017, Gujarat became number one state in the country, he said adding that it could become possible because of pro-people policy of BJP Governments under Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel and now Vijay Rupani.
In 1995 there were only 26,000 doctors, now the figure touched 61,000. Same success story for the number of engineering seats which has increase 14 times in the State. The most encouraging development parameter according to Shah was per capita income which was Rs 13,665 in 1995 but now increase to Rs 1,14,504 in 2017.
‘‘With Narendra Modi as Prime Minister the development process of Gujarat will continue in future too. Already approvals for international airport and AIMS in Rajkot have given. Investments are flowing in the state due to Vibrant Gujarat summits. The State has become curfew free and peace has been prevailed,’’ he added.
Through Gujarat Gaurav Yatra, BJP would tell the people about development revolution that has taken place in the State in the past two decades. As many as 138 public meetings will be addressed during the Yatra in 15 days by BJP leaders. It will touch 149 Assembly constituencies out of 182 during the period.