Nadiad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday attacked the Congress, alleging that when it was in power in Gujarat in the past, it worked towards spreading communal riots in the state, making people fight among themselves and damaging the law and order situation.
He said that before the BJP came to power and Narendra Modi became the chief minister, Gujarat grappled with communal riots, curfews, and with issues like smuggling of narcotics, arms and RDX through international border. "For many years, Congress worked to make communities fight against each other internally, spread communal riots, and tear apart the law and order," Shah said after inaugurating various police housing projects in parts the state from Nadiad in Kheda district.
Assembly elections in BJP-ruled Gujarat are due by the end of this year.
During the Congress's rule, the state used to face curfew for most part of the year, and there was no guarantee that a man would return home in the evening after stepping out for work in the morning. Closure of banks, markets and factories also affected the economy, Shah said. "Communal clash was certain during (Lord Jagannath) Rath Yatra. But after BJP came to power, has anyone dared to attack the Rath yatra? Those who dared do so are behind bars. BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi (as CM) started securing Gujarat," the Union minister said.
During the Congress regime, the coastal district of Porbandar had turned into a "playground" for smugglers and mafias, and smuggling of arms, narcotics, fake currency, and RDX through the Kutch border was taking place, he said, adding, "Today, nobody dares to enter even an inch into the Kutch border."
"The BJP under Narendrabhai Modi started securing Gujarat...and the practice started by him (Modi) is being carried forward by (Chief Minister) Bhupendra Patel and (Home Minister) Harsh Sanghavi," he added.
Shah said that despite being a border state, Gujarat has succeeded in establishing peace. "Nobody has dared to disturb the peace in the state although it has a long coastline and shares border with Pakistan," he said. Congratulating the government for making Gujarat the number one state in busting narcotics smuggling, Shah also lauded the state police force for remaining two steps ahead in fighting cyber crimes and ably carrying out the tasks related to policing, which he said is becoming challenging by the day.
"I am happy to say that as crime manifested in different forms, Gujarat police tackled all the challenges through its policy of remaining two steps ahead of criminals. Even today, the entire country looks at the Gujarat model with surprise," he said. Shah offered his tributes to more than 35,000 police personnel across the country, who sacrificed their lives, and said this number is higher than the jawans, who attained martyrdom in all the wars fought by India.
"Many times, we have heard negative words about the police. But through this programme, I would like to say that India would not have been safe had these 35,000 personnel not sacrificed their lives for their motherland," he added. He said that while the loss suffered by their family members cannot be compensated, the sacrifice of the police force will remain written in golden letters. PTI
