On the morning of 12th April, Shri Narendra Modi addressed a massive rally at Pachpadra in Barmer, Rajasthan, and affirmed of giving special emphasis towards the development of desert lands under the BJP government. Shri Modi shared a promising vision of the BJP which would give the arid lands of Rajasthan a major boost in its activities and take the State ahead of the others, on the growth front.
Asserting the BJP’s special emphasis on good governance (sushasan) and development (vikas), Shri Modi affirmed that a separate focus would also be given to the desert states. He recalled the makeover given to Kutch, under his Chief Ministership, which enabled the region to develop immensely, and the result of which can be seen today when the desert land of Kutch has started yielding bumper crops. “When I became CM, Gujarat was reeling under the effects of a severe quake. People were leaving and the situation was bad. But see Kutch today, it is among the fastest growing districts of India. We got water for BSF jawans, and Kutch has left a mark in agriculture and it is exporting mangoes. If Kutch can do it, why can’t Barmer,” said Shri Modi. He also reinforced the BJP’s focus on making Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji ‘s dream of linking rivers come true, and thereby ensure the reach of adequate water for the people.
Stating the vast potential of Rajasthan’s gas and petroleum reserves, Shri Modi affirmed that under the BJP, emphasis would be given towards exploring this sector and capitalizing on it for the prosperity of the people. Citing the tremendous scope it entailed, Shri Modi urged the youth to pursue a career in the petroleum industry and await greater opportunities under the BJP government. Shri Modi also spoke of how Gujarat had successfully tapped its solar potential, while the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan had only indulged in ‘damad power’ (referring to the solar scam involving Robert Vadra), wherein land worth crores, meant for solar panels, were given away to the ‘damad’ for personal gains.
Speaking on bringing back the black money stacked in foreign banks, Shri Modi spoke of the Congress’ reluctance in pursuing this, and mentioned the recent complaint made to the Election Commission against former Punjab CM from the Congress Shri Amarinder Singh, of hiding his bank details. “A question has been asked whether his family has accounts in Geneva. These are answers needed from Amarinder Singh. If he is innocent, the Congress should speak for him and state that their former CM and his family is clean,” said Shri Modi. He urged the Election Commission to seek a probe in the matter, and affirmed, “EC has got this complaint and before they vote, the people have a right to know the truth. If the Congress cannot place the truth about their own CM in front of the nation, then the Government after 16th May will place everything in front of the people.”
Shri Modi exposed the partial nature of the Congress in welcoming refugees from the borders, saying their decisions were guided solely by votebank politics. “It pains me how votebank politics has weakened our nation and caused divisions. We need to save India from it. If a Bangladeshi comes in, he or she is welcome and all rules are broken. But what about those who fled Pakistan and are shouting Bharat Mata Ki Jai. They have come from Pakistan not for any ulterior motives but they are shouting Bharat Mata Ki Jai. I assure we will take care of them,” said Shri Modi.
Shri Modi also condemned the efforts of the Congress to censure the BJP and Shri Modi, through misleading claims and false allegations, and said that none of these had lessened the peoples’ preference to support Shri Modi. He stated how the Congress had misused institutes of repute to defame Shri Modi, and stated that these efforts of theirs was because of their fear of where they would land after the declaration of results on 16th May.
Acknowledging the people’s presence in large numbers, Shri Modi said that their blessings gave him the strength to take the lead and bring the change the Nation deserves. He appealed to the people to vote for the BJP and take the lead in wiping out the Congress and its allies.
