Mathura: Actress-turned-politician Hema Malini, contesting the Lok Sabha election from Mathura as a BJP candidate for the third time, said Wednesday that she considers herself as a "gopi" of Lord Krishna.
"I joined politics neither for name nor for fame. I also did not join politics for any materialistic gain," the Mathura MP told reporters here. Calling herself "Gopi of Krishna", Hema Malini said since Lord Krishna loves the "Brijwasis(denizens of Brij)", she thought that he would shower his blessings on her only if she served them sincerely.
"And I am accordingly serving the Brijwasis," she said. She expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda for giving her the opportunity to serve the Brijwasis for the third time from Mathura.
She said the development of 'Braj 84 Kos Parikrama', lying in a miserable condition, will be her first priority. "Efforts will be made to turn Braj 84 Kos Parikrama soothing, alluring and fascinating for the tourists," Hema Malini, two-term MP from Mathura, said.
She said Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was kind enough to consider her request and he sanctioned Rs 5,000 crore for the renovation of Braj 84 Kos Parikrama.
"As the DPR (detailed project report) for it has been prepared for Rs 11,000 crore, I will get the rest of the amount sanctioned for an ideal infrastructure so that it provides the needed facilities to the pilgrims and turns attractive and mesmerising for the international tourists," she said.
Tourism will open the gates for employment to the locals, she said. Her second priority will be to work towards cleaning the Yamuna River, she said.
Hema Malini claimed to have raised a question in Parliament about the pollution of the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers even before the Namami Gange project was launched. She said ever since Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi has taken interest in the Namami Gange project, the Ganga water has turned transparent and pollution-free at Prayagraj. But the Delhi government did not take interest in solving the pollution problem of the Yamuna river and the holy river remains polluted in Mathura, she alleged.
According to the Mathura MP, without cleaning the Yamuna in Delhi and Haryana, the dream of a clean Yamuna in Mathura can not be translated into reality. At present, the Yamunotri water is used by Delhi and Haryana and drain water of both states is discharged into the Yamuna, Hema Malini said, adding that she will make every effort for a clean Yamuna.
Expressing her gratitude to Yogi, she said he formed the UP Braj Tirth Vikas Parishad at her behest when his attention was drawn towards the need for the development of Mathura. It included Sant Gram (a village for the saints) in Vrindavan, renovation of kunds, Raskhan Samadhi, Sur (Surdas') Sadhana Sthali at Parasauli and Govardhan Parikrama.
Much work including the renovation of Raskhan Samadhi, Sur Sadhana Sthali and Govardhan Parikrama has been accomplished. Though work on other projects is in progress, it is at a slow speed due to encroachments, she said. Hema Malini thanked Yogi also for the declaration of Vrindavan, Barsana, Nandgaon, Govardhan, Gokul, Mathura and Baldeo as "teerth sthals" (pilgrimages) on her request.
Her other priorities will be elevating a broad gauge rail line between Mathura junction, connecting the holy city of Vrindavan with Aligarh, constructing a double line rail track between Mathura and Kasganj, replacing hard potable water with the Ganga river water and opening a central university that ultimately will pave the way for youths to succeed in the competitive examinations.
