Development, heritage must go ahead together: PM Narendra Modi

PUNE/MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that it was the responsibility of everyone to keep India's ancient identity and traditions alive as it will help strengthen national unity, report Sarang Dastane and Bhavika Jain.
"When modern technology and infrastructure are becoming synonymous with a country's development, we are making sure that both development and heritage move forward together," he said while inaugurating the renovated shila (rock) temple at the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Mandir in Dehu, around 40km from Pune.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Uddhav Thackeray share stage amid frosty BJP-Shiv Sena ties
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP unit chief Chandrakant Patil were present for Tuesday's event at the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Mandir in Dehu, which was attended by a large number of warkaris (devotees) and the temple trustees.
PM Modi said saints have always come ahead to guide society. "Saints like Sant Tukaram played a very important role in the life of a national hero, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. When Veer Savarkar was in jail he used to sing abhangs of Sant Tukaram," Modi said.
He said the Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram Palkhi marg-procession routes from Dehu and Alandi in Pune to Pandharpur in Solapur- which are being developed as 4-lane national highways will bring overall development in the region.
He said a few months back he had laid the foundation stone of these two routes. Sant Dnyaneshwar Palkhi Marg will be developed in five stages and Sant Tukaram Palkhi Marg in three. Both routes will cover 350km and are estimated to cost Rs 11,000 crore, he said.
In Mumbai, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, two months after he had skipped a city event where Modi had received the first Dinanath Mangeshkar award. Ties between the Shiv Sena-former allies turned foes-are particularly strained since the Rajya Sabha poll in the state last week where the BJP upset the MVA.
Modi inaugurated the newly built Gallery of Revolutionaries and the residential Jal Bhushan building at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. The gallery which is dedicated to freedom fighters from the state has come up in the subterranean network of 13 pre-World War-I British era bunkers, discovered in Raj Bhavan campus in 2016. Jal Bhushan was the official residence of Maharashtra governor since 1885. It was later demolished and rebuilt.
"For seven decades no one spotted the bunker which was right under Raj Bhavan. There is a lack of enthusiasm amongst us towards our national heritage and national heroes," said Modi. He said Maharashtra has a very rich legacy of social reformers from Sant Tukaram to Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Governor B S Koshyari who has been at loggerheads with the MVA government, indirectly criticised it by saying 80 irrigation projects in the state remained incomplete after 20 years. He also said when he visited Aurangabad, the locals said they received water supply only once in 5-7 days. Koshyari said development boards mandated by the Constitution to restore regional imbalance had not been formed in the state for over two years.
Later, Modi attended an event to mark the 200th anniversary of Gujarati newspaper Mumbai Samachar and release a commemorative stamp. Praising local language newspapers, Modi said they played a major role in the freedom struggle. He showered praise on the Parsi community, saying though tiny, it had contributed to many sectors. The newspaper is run by the Cama family, who are Parsis.
The newly elected RS members garlanded Modi in Mumbai. BJP MP Anil Bonde garlanded him at Nariman Point and Dhananjay Mahadik at Worli.