Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. (PTI/File Photo)
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday took potshots at Congress over recent social media trend– vikas gando thayo chhe (development has gone mad or out of control)– and hit back by claiming corruption had gone out of control during Congress rule.
“For years, water (of Narmada) continued to drain into the sea. On the other hand, our farmers couldn’t do sowing for lack of water, our sisters continued to walk for miles for a pitcher of water and our cattle-herders were forced to keep their cattle in cattle camps as there was no fodder. Who was responsible for such a state of affairs? Who didn’t care for a diem all these years? Ane atyare em kahe chhe, vikas gando thayo chhe. Arey ganda dahya thaay to saru chhe. (And now they are alleging that the development has gone mad. But in fact, it would be better if those who have gone mad become sane again),” said Rupani.
The CM was addressing a public meeting after laying foundation stone of sixth package of link-IV of Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation Yojana (SAUNI) in Visavadar town of Junagadh district. SAUNI is the ambitious project of the state government to divert one million acre feet of floodwaters of Narmada to 115 existing dams of Saurashtra region through 1,263 kilometre long network of giant pipelines. The project, which is estimated to cost more than Rs 16,500 crore to the government is expected to augment irrigation facilities and drinking water supply in parched Saurashtra region. This was third second event to lay foundation stone for the work of second phase of link-IV of SAUNI this week and third in three months marking a milestone of the same link.
Rupani claimed that Gujarat had registered much progress in last 23 years of BJP rule. He said that SAUNI project, Jyotigram project for ensuring round the clock electricity supply to villages in the state, purchase of farmers’ produce at minimum support price, a Gujarat free from communal riots and where there is law and order and tablets in the hands of youth etc were symbols of development. “Supply of drinking water to houses is symbol of development, ban on cow slaughter is symbol of development, Prohibition act is symbol of development, affordable school fees is symbol of development. We have ensured this progress,” said the CM.
The CM was apparently reacting to recent social media trend criticising actions and policies of the BJP government in Gujarat under the broader trend of vikas gando thayo chhe. The tend has gone viral over the last few weeks and has apparently upset the BJP just a couple of months before Assembly election on the state.
But the CM advised Congress to talk sense as its rule in the past was marked by rampant corruption. ” Tame kaho chho gando thayo chhe. Ganda dahya thata nathi to shu amare bhrashtachar gando karvo? Congress na shashanma bhrashtachar gando thayo hato, Congress na shashanma garibi gandi thai hati, Congress na shashanma berojgari gandi thai hati, Congress na shashanma kheduto aatmhatya karta hata. Tamare eno javab aapvo joiye. (You are saying (development) has gone mad. If mad refuse to become sane, should we allow corruption a free hand. Corruption had gone mad during Congress rule. Poverty and unemployment had also gone mad during Congress reign. Farmers were committing suicide when Congress was in power. You should explain this),” Rupani retorted.
Rupani claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had changed political discourse by introducing poetics of development. “I want to tell those who are alleging that vikas gando thayo chhe that you have been forced to talk about development. Narendra Modi introduced the term vikas (development) in the narrative. Nobody was talking about it before that. Narendra Modi invented the politics of vikas. On the other hand, you were only concerned about (winning) elections by dividing society along caste and religious lines. BJP has done politics of development. The fact that, as they are alleging, vikas gando thayo chhe means development has indeed happened,” said Rupani to a round of applause.
Incidentally, Visavadar Assembly constituency is presently held by Harshad Ribadiya of Congress. Visavadar is also the constituency from where former chief minister Keshubhai Patel had been elected. The seat is dominated by Patidars.
The CM also repeated his charge that Congress was responsible for years of delay in completing Narmada dam project. “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel mooted the idea of Narmada dam in 1946. Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of the project in 1961. But Congress couldn’t complete the project till 1998. There was Congress rule in Delhi and other states all this while. But opponents of Gujarat created controversies around the project, dragged it to the Supreme Court and Congress did little for it. Today, they are claiming that they’ve done the project. But as a matter of fact, nothing noteworthy was done from 1961 to 1998. The project remained wrapped in office files,” he said.
Rupani gave full credit to BJP chief ministers Keshubhai and Modi for the Narmada dam project. “Keshubhai pursued the matter in 1998 and the Supreme Court started hearing the case. When Modi took over as the CM of Gujarat, work worth only Rs 3,500 had been completed which is merely seven per cent of the total project cost of Rs 56,000 crore. But Modi took it up seriously and in the next 16 years, the project was completed,” he said.
The Narmada Control Authority had granted permission to Gujarat government to shut floodgates of Narmada dam in June this year, marking the completion of Sardar Sarovar, popularly known as Narmada dam. However, around 20 per cent of extensive canal network of the project is still to be completed.
Rupani said his government was committed to complete the SAUNI project also. “Soon after taking over as the Chief Minister, I decided that we shall complete SAUNI project quickly. There is no alternative. When Narendra Modi launched the SAUNI Yojana, opponents used to say dams cannot be filled by pumping water through pipelines. They used to say water cannot be pumped from that far and that only air will come out of these pipelines. But I’m happy to tell you that 22 dams, 170 ponds and 250 check-dams have already been filled. Now, I want to tell opponents to go visit these dams. I’m sure they (opponents) have run out of gas,” said Rupani.
The CM said by the time Narmada water reaches dams in Visavadar, it would have flowed for a length of 562 kilometres and would have been lifted 745 feet, a height which can equal that of a 75-storey building.
Rupani also said that his government was committed to build a Rama temple in Ayodhya. “This is our mantra: Ayodhyame Ram, yuvano ko kaam, kisano ko sahi daam, mehngai pe legam, hata do bhrashtachari badman (Lord Rama (temple) in Ayodhya, employment for youth, fair prices for farmers’ produce, control over price rise and removing those who are corrupt and discredited),” he said.
