Modi kicks off projects in Chattisgarh, UP blitz

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a slew of development projects, flagged off a Vande Bharat train, and presided over a ceremony to honour a century-old publication house as he travelled across two states in a campaign blitzkrieg ahead of a crucial election season.

On the first day of his four-state visit, Modi also attacked the Congress, emphasised the importance of eradicating a mentality of slavery and taking pride in traditions, and extolled the benefits of the Union government’s welfare schemes.

“Under the BJP government, the beneficiary category has become an example of real social justice and real secularism,” the PM said in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi. “Ensuring self-respect for the poor is a Modi guarantee.”

Modi began his day in Chhattisgarh, where he laid the foundation stones of eight projects worth around ₹7,600 crore and later launched a fierce attack on the Congress, calling corruption the party’s primary ideology and terming Chhattisgarh a model of misrule.

“If the Congress is a guarantee for corruption, Modi is a guarantee for acting against it,” he said during a rally at Science College ground in Raipur.

The Congress has made the state its ATM, with every department engaged in corruption, the PM alleged. “Congress promised liquor ban in the state but in reality, they have done scams worth thousands of crores. The scam money went into the account of the party,” he added.

This was Modi’s first visit since 2019 to the Congress-ruled state that goes to the polls later this year. “The next 25 years will be crucial for the development of Chhattisgarh but a big panja (a reference to the Congress party’s poll symbol, the open palm) is standing like a tall wall against it. It has resolved to snatch your rights and it will loot the state,” Modi said.

The Centre has been developing infrastructure in the areas that have been lagging in the race of development, he said. “Another benefit of infrastructure which is seldom discussed is that it is related to social justice. The Centre has been providing modern facilities to those who have been facing injustice and lack of facilities for the last several decades,” he said.

The PM criticised the Opposition’s efforts to stitch together an anti-BJP front. “Those who are stained with corruption are trying to come together today. Those who once cursed each other are now trying to find excuses to come against me.”

The Congress government in Chhattisgarh was also creating hurdles in the way of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and “millions of people are yet to avail the benefits of the central scheme because of that”, he said.

“Houses will be built for people as soon as the BJP forms the government in the state,” he assured the people, adding that the Congress has always used tribals as a vote bank.

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s speech, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the PM is lying. “Modi ji, winds of lies started blowing as soon as you came... State BJP leaders were continuously misleading farmers that paddy is procured with the money from the Centre. You are the prime minister, you know the truth, but you also lied. This is the biggest lie in the name of farmers that the Centre takes care of 80% of the state’s paddy procurement,” Baghel tweeted in Hindi.

“If the role of your government is this much in paddy purchase from the states, then why are the farmers in your Lok Sabha constituency forced to sell paddy at ₹1,000-1200 per quintal? The BJP leaders of Chhattisgarh gave you wrong information and you went away after reading the speech. Everyone in Chhattisgarh knows that we had taken an oath by ‘Gangajal’ for loan waivers of farmers within 10 days, but it was waived off within just two hours,” Baghel added.

The PM later travelled to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where he attended the centenary celebrations of Gita Press, the recipient of the 2021 Gandhi Peace Prize, and said that Gita Press was the world’s only printing press which was an article of living faith.

In a 45-minute ceremony, Modi said the country was combining development (vikas) with heritage (virasat) and stressed that India was establishing new records in digital technology and, at the same time, fulfilling the dream of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“Today, we are building world-class infrastructure and developing pilgrim spots like Kashi Dham, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Mahakal temple. We will develop a new India and make our motto of the welfare of humanity successful,” he said.

Emphasising on eradicating “mental slavery”, he asked people to take pride in traditions.

“After 75 years of Independence, we were carrying the symbol of slavery on the flag of our Navy. We continued with British traditions after independence. Now, with full confidence, we started to change it. We are giving a respectable place to our heritage and ideals. The insignia of Chhatrapati Shivaji has been put on the flag of the Indian Navy,” he said.

“Rajpath has been renamed Kartavya Path, and this is motivating the country… to honour tribal values, a tribal freedom fighter museum is being established. Our ancient and holy idols that were sent outside the country are being installed in our temple. The idea of a developed and spiritual country is being fulfilled,” he added.

Lauding Gita Press, Modi said, “Gita Press is the only printing press in the country that is not merely an institution but a living faith. For the people, the office of Gita Press is like a temple. Where there is Gita, there is Krishna, and where there is Krishna there is compassion.”

The Prime Minister visited Lila Chitra Mandir in the premises of the press building, where 684 paintings on the life of Hindu deities Rama and Krishna are on display. He also released the latest edition of Shiva Mahapurana published by Gita Press.

Later, he flagged off the Gorakhpur-Lucknow and the Jodhpur-Ahmedabad (Sabarmati) Vande Bharat Express trains. He also laid the foundation stone of the ₹498-crore Gorakhpur railway station redevelopment project. “There is a craze for it… Earlier, leaders used to write about getting trains to halt in their areas. Now, I get letters from every part of the country requesting to run Vande Bharat trains,” he said, adding that Vande Bharat provided both facilities and convenience to middle-class citizens.

He then travelled to Varanasi, where he unveiled 29 development projects worth ₹12,100 crore and told a rally later that the beneficiaries of welfare schemes were examples of social justice and real secularism, attacking previous governments for coming up with schemes while “sitting in air-conditioned rooms”.

“They never got to know what the impact of the schemes was on the ground,” he said, adding that now there was dialogue and direct feedback from intended beneficiaries.

He said the benefits of democracy had reached the right people after many years. “Earlier, only a select few benefited…the poor had no say,” he said, adding that schemes earlier meant to help “one family and one generation”. But his government keeps in mind the benefit of the future generations as well, he claimed.

UP governor Anandi Ben Patel, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union minister SP Singh Baghel and Varanasi mayor were among those present on the dais.

Speaking on Vande Bharat trains, the Prime Minister said, “There is a craze for it.””Earlier, leaders used to write about getting trains to halt in their areas. Now, I get letters from every part of the country requesting to run Vande Bharat trains,” he said, adding that Vande Bharat has provided both facilities and convenience to middle-class citizens.

“Under the BJP government, beneficiary class has become an example of true social justice and true secularism,” he said in Varanasi.