Jaipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed Congress for talking big in the name of farmers but neither doing anything for them nor letting others do anything.
He also alleged the party encourages water disputes among states rather than resolving them, and said the delay in the implementation of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) is a direct proof of the Congress' "intention".
Modi laid the foundation stone of the first phase of the 'Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project' (ERCP) on Tuesday on the anniversary of the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led government and dedicated many other schemes to the people of the state. The Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were present in the event.
He was addressing the 'Ek Varsh-Parinaam Utkarsh' event to mark the completion of the Rajasthan government's one year in office. He also laid the foundation stones for 24 projects on energy, road, railways and water worth over Rs 46,300 crore. Starting his speech by showing praise on Lord Govind Devji, Modi said the anniversary celebration of the BJP government in Rajasthan will take the state towards the path of development and the water project will boost employment, investment tourism and farmers.
Taking a dig at Congress, Modi said the BJP government worked on solutions, while Congress always promoted water disputes. Congress made an ambitious project like ERCP controversial instead of solving it and Rajasthan is moving from a desert to a water-wealthy state. The ERCP project will supply irrigation and drinking water to 21 districts and the Isarda Link Project will soon provide water to every household.
"The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was delayed for so long by the Congress, this is also a direct proof of the Congress' intentions. They talk big in the name of farmers but they neither do anything themselves for the farmers nor let others do anything," Modi said.
On various water disputes between states, he said while the BJP's policy is to promote dialogue, the Congress continues to fan water discords. "The BJP's policy is of dialogue, not of conflict. We believe in cooperation, not opposition. We believe in solutions, not disruption. Therefore, our government has approved and also expanded the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. As soon as the BJP government was formed in MP and Rajasthan, an agreement was reached on the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal project," he said.
Recalling former chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and former finance minister Jaswant Singh he said, "When I was the chief minister of Gujarat, Shekhawat and Singh met me. I saw emotion in their eyes. This made me understand the importance of water".
He said the BJP government has become synonymous with development. Referring to the recent by-elections, he said the people of Rajasthan have reposed immense trust in BJP. Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje laid the foundation of Rajasthan's development and now Sharma is taking their legacy forward.
He also mentioned the victory of the party in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections and by-polls in Rajasthan.
Talking about women empowerment, he said 10 crore women, including lakhs from Rajasthan, joined Self-Help Groups in the last decade. He also highlighted the government's women-specific programmes such as the Lakhpati Didi scheme, Namo Drone Didi Scheme and Bima Sakhi Scheme. The PM encouraged party workers to work towards water conservation and make people aware of it, saying the BJP is not just the biggest political party but a huge social movement. CM Bhajanlal also addressed the meeting and highlighted the achievements of his government.
Union ministers C R Patil, Bhagirath Chaudhary, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, Prem Chand Bairwa and other leaders were also present in the programme.
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