On the second day of his three-day poll-bound Gujarat visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday blamed "urban Naxals" for obstructing development projects, including construction of Sardar Patel's dream project Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river, for years. In a veiled attack on the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, Modi said, "these urban naxals are trying to enter Gujarat in disguise" and warned that "one shouldn't fall for them."
The Prime Minister said this while addressing a gathering consisting mostly of tribals after laying the foundation stone of a bulk drug park in Bharuch, hailed to be country's first such park. Mentioning how Naxalism has spread from Bengal and gripped states such as Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Modi said that he, "ensured as a chief minister of Gujarat" that tribal stretch in Gujarat from Ambaji to Umargaon didn't come under its shadow.
Claiming that these "urban naxals" are trying to enter Gujarat in disguise again, the Prime Minister warned the gathering that they should not "let their youths fall for them as these foreign forces will ruin their lives." In his previous visits too, Modi had blamed "urban naxals" behind delay of Sardar Sarovar Project.
On August 28, chief minister Bhupendra Patel had first brought "urban naxal" in his speech while inaugurating several development projects in Kutch district. Patel had alleged that these "naxals" opposed Gujarat and tried everything to deprive Gujarat of development. "One of these urban naxals was Medha Patkar. We all know which party she is associated with and who gave her ticket to contest parliamentary election," he had said. In 2014, Patkar had contested from Mumbai on AAP ticket.
PM warns partymen of Congress
Earlier in the day, addressing a BJP rally "Jan Vishwas Sammelan" at Vallabh Vidyanagar in Anand district, a Congress bastion, Modi asked them to be alert against the Congress which "seems inactive but is quietly going to villages and towns to convince people to vote against BJP."
"This time Congress is playing a new chal (tactic). Don't remain under the impression that they are silent. Their moves are not reported in the media. They are also not highlighting it but they are doing 'khatla (cot) baithaks' (meeting) in village after village. And, therefore, we need to remain alert even if they aren't carrying out rallies, sabhas or press conferences," Modi said in his address.
Bitter feud between BJP and AAP
As soon as Modi's statement on Congress was reported, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was quick to react on Twitter where he asked if the PM was "campaigning for Congress." This comes amid a bitter fight between BJP and AAP brewing in the state.
First, it was posters of Kejriwal targeting him for being "anti-Hindu" and since Sunday, a video clip of AAP's Gujarat president Gopal Italia is being circulated by BJP in which Italia is seen criticising the PM using objectionable words. Italia tried to defend himself by claiming that BJP is targeting him for being a "Patidar".
Published 10 October 2022, 08:34 IST