Congress works for progress of just one family, says Modi

New Delhi/Dwarka/Rajkot: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the Opposition Congress Party, saying that its entire strength was used to ensure the progress of just one family.

Speaking after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for various projects in Gujarat’s Dwarka, including India’s longest cable-stayed bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka in Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi said all kinds of scams used to take place under Congress governments and his government had stopped all those things in the last 10 years.

The PM laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth more than Rs 4,150 crores in Dwarka and worth over Rs 48,100 crores in Rajkot.

He said the Congress lacked the will and intention to provide amenities to people and those who ruled the country for a long time did not have the willpower, intention, and dedication to provide amenities to ordinary people.

“The entire strength of the Congress has been used to take one family forward. If everything was to be done only for one family, then how would one remember to build the country? Its (Congress) entire energy was focused on how to run the government for five years and how to hide scams,” Mr Modi said.

He noted that Congress could make India’s economy only the 11th largest because the party did not have the capacity to fulfil the big dreams of the people of a vast nation.

The PM pointed out that his government's commitment to put an end to all scams had resulted in the country’s progress and the creation of grand infrastructure like the longest cable-stayed bridge “Sudarshan Setu” connecting Beyt Okha and mainland Okha.

Talking about the “Sudarshan Setu”, the PM said he laid the foundation stone for this bridge six years ago and inaugurated it on Sunday. “This is Modi’s guarantee,” he added.

Mr. Modi mentioned that when the economy was small, it did not have the capacity to fulfil the huge dreams of a vast nation, and whatever little budget was earmarked for infrastructure was looted by way of scams.

Talking about scams, he said: “When the time came to improve telecom infrastructure, the Congress created the 2G scam, and when it was time to strengthen sports infrastructure, the Congress created the Commonwealth Games scam. When it was the time to strengthen the defence infrastructure, the Congress indulged in the helicopter and submarine scams.”

“The Congress can only betray every need of the country. In 2014, when you all blessed me and sent me to Delhi, I promised you all I would not let the country be looted. Scams worth several thousands of crores that used to happen during the Congress era have all been stopped,” he asserted.

He pointed out that in the past 10 years, his government had made the country’s economy the fifth largest in the world, and as a result such grand and divine constructions were taking place all over, which was creating "the new picture of new India".

“The sea bridge (Atal Setu) in Mumbai, the (railway) bridge on Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir, the under-construction vertical lift bridge in Tamil Nadu, and a river bridge in Assam are examples of such mega projects,” he further pointed out.

The PM mentioned he was fortunate to get a chance to inaugurate the bridge, the foundation stone of which he had laid six years ago.

“The bridge will connect Beyt Dwarka island to Okha mainland and add to the beauty of the place. Whatever was dreamed of, and whose foundation stone was laid was fulfilled. This is the guarantee of Modi, a servant of the public,” he asserted.

Pointing out that the “Sudarshan Setu” was not just another bridge but an engineering marvel that would reduce the dependency of tourists and pilgrims on ferry boats. “Modern connectivity is a way to build a prosperous and strong nation,” he reiterated.

The PM informed the gathering that as chief minister of Gujarat, he had placed the idea of such a bridge in front of the (Congress-ruled) Centre several times, but the latter had never paid attention to it.

Asserting that several tourist and pilgrimage spots in Gujarat had been improved, leading to these becoming favoured places for international tourists, he asked people to ensure cleanliness of Dwarka for tourists. “Till August last year, 15.5 lakh tourists visited Gujarat. The e-visa facility for international tourists has helped Gujarat, and created new opportunities for employment and self-employment,” he said.

Later, speaking in Rajkot, the PM recalled his long association with the city and said that 22 years ago he was elected as an MLA from here. He had taken the oath as an MLA on February 25 in Rajkot 22 years ago. The PM said he had done his best to live up to the trust of the people of Rajkot. “I can see that generations have changed but affection for Modi is beyond any age limit,” said a grateful Prime Minister.

Noting the development projects of today worth more than Rs 48,000 crores in Rajkot, the PM mentioned the New Mundra-Panipat pipeline commissioned to transport crude oil from the Gujarat coast to Indian Oil's refinery in Panipat in Haryana. He also mentioned projects related to roads, railways, electricity, health and education. “AIIMS Rajkot is now dedicated to the nation after the inauguration of the international airport”, the PM said, congratulating the people of Rajkot and Saurashtra. He also conveyed his best wishes to citizens of all cities where AIIMS was being inaugurated today.