Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Congress government in Himachal Pradesh and said the government has now a symbol for rampant corruption.
Addressing rallies in Una, Palampur and Kullu during the day, he urged the people in Himachal to give a double impetus to development with double BJP engine—in the centre and the state.
Addressing a rally at Palampur in Kangra district, where his close aide and state Mahila Morcha chief Indu Goswami is in poll fray, Modi praised the previous BJP regimes for carrying out various development works for the welfare of common man.
“Former chief ministers, Shanta Kumar strived hard to provide drinking water while Prem Kumar Dhumal for improving roads infrastructure and higher education,” he said.
“And the Congress Chief Minister (Virbhadra Singh) is known for corruption,” he said, while questioning why only Congress governments and minister face corruption charges.
Modi said Congress leaders, while in power, only focus on accumulating money through illegal means. This is the reason that the people have thrown them out of power as in democracy, public was the almighty and they are now delivering justice to those people who have looted them in the past.
He also lashed at the Congress party’s plan to observe November 8, first anniversary of demonetization as black money day.
“Their pain can be easily understood as they were forced to deposit ill-gotten money in banks due to demonetization and it was the reason they were holding protests,” Modi said, adding such protests won’t deter from his fight against corruption in the country.
In his rally at Kullu, the Prime Minister said if given the opportunity, tourism will be promoted in a big way as there was huge potential for Himachal to become an ideal tourist destination in the world.
He said it was Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Rohtang Tunnel 17 years ago. “The work was expedited by our government at the centre; the tails of both the tunnels have been connected. After completion it will throw open the doors of tourism in the area.”
He blamed the Congress government in Himachal for the delay in the construction of the same.
“Our government at centre is making efforts to create infrastructure for tourism in Himachal. However, whenever there is a concern to bring about any development, it is, as in the nature of Congress to stall, delay and then lead people astray,” he said.
Urging the people of the state to do away with the tradition of alternating, BJP and Congress government every 5 years, he said, “Give our government the opportunity, we will take the state to new heights.”
Alleging various mafia’s have taken root in the state that include drug mafia, forest mafia, transfer mafia, he promised to rid the state of all of it.
He said his promised action for a crack-down on “benami” properties is giving them jitters.