Gehlot scoffs at Modi’s blaming of past govts

Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Nathdwara on Wednesday and said the latter should have refrained from criticizing the previous governments and making political statements in his presence at the official function.
“Modiji asked why the railway lines and electricity lines were not laid, and medical college were not opened earlier. Probably Modiji forgot the kind of well-groomed country he has got has come about after 67 years of development after Independence. This country was not built in a day,” said Gehlot.
Elaborating on his point, the CM said, “When the British left India in 1947, the installed capacity of electricity in the country was only 1,362 MW, which increased to about 2.5 lakh MW by 2014. This is just an example. In every field, including education, health infrastructure, railways and IT, there has been a progressive increase in the same way since 1947 till today.”
“The meaning of Modiji’s speech today was like asking a 21-year-old youth who is in a job why he did not join the job 20 years ago. I would like to appeal to Narendra Modi as a Prime Minister that he, instead of insulting his predecessors at government programmes, should thank them because they handed over such a country to him, due to which he is able to represent the country in the world today,” said Gehlot.
State Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra joined the issue of crime statistics and asserted that law and order situation in Rajasthan is better than in other states. He said the number of crimes in Modi’s home state of Gujarat and BJP-ruled states of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh has increased tremendously as compared to 2019, while it has decreased by 5 per cent in Rajasthan.
Dotasra pointed out that it is mandatory for all police stations in Rajasthan to register FIRs whereas during the previous BJP rule, 35 per cent of complaints of serious crimes against women were registered through the court. He also said that during the previous BJP rule in Rajasthan, the average duration of investigation in serious criminal cases like rape was 274 days, which has now come down to just 57 days due to the Congress government’s efforts.
“The serial bomb blasts in Jaipur took place during the BJP government’s time and that the criminals were sentenced to death in the trial court during Congress rule. Rajasthan government is leaving no stone unturned to provide justice to all the victims,” said Dotasra.
The PCC chief said the PM’s allegation on this issue is only political because the country’s reality is seen in the fate of medal-winning women wrestlers who have been sitting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding action against a BJP MP accused of sexual exploitation. “BJP and the Modi government are working to save the MP accused of sexual exploitation,” alleged Dotasra.