Inaugurating India’s first 24x7 solar village Modhera in Gujarat on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an oblique attack on Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party without naming them.
Enlisting the benefits of generating solar energy on residence and office rooftops, Modi remarked that the electricity is not only free, but you can also earn money by selling additional power to the state government.
The prime minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects, running into crores of rupees, in various sectors. He is on a three-day visit to his home state which goes to polls by the end of the year.
Modi took an indirect dig at Kejriwal who has promised free electricity of 300 units per month, free healthcare facilities and improving educational standards if the AAP comes to power in Gujarat.
The AAP leader’s promises have been driving people to his town halls and rallies and though there is no direct admission, the way the AAP is spreading its wings across the length and breadth of the state has made the BJP sit up.
“Isn’t it laddos in both the hands?” Modi asked and went on to add that there is no burden on the society. “It (generating solar energy) does take more effort but then we are born to make efforts and the values you have imbibed in me helps me to do so,” he said.
This is for the first time that the PM has indirectly hit out at AAP, though without naming it. In fact, major portion of his speech was dedicated to indirectly attacking the emerging party. There was only one indirect attack on the Congress, which is the main opposition party in Gujarat.
“I have been working hard so that you get security (of resources),” the PM said, enlisting how as the chief minister of Gujarat he had initiated steps in the direction of education, healthcare and farming.
Thanking the masses for the support that they have given to him and his colleagues (as he mentioned), Modi said that they have been able to take the path of development due to that support. “Now is the time to take a giant leap,” he said.
The youth in the age group of 20 to 22 years have not seen the difficulties that we have faced and come out of it, he said. Modi also said that the youth have not even seen riots and heard the word “curfew”.
Change does not come just like that, it needs a futuristic approach, the prime minister said. He also mentioned that the country cannot progress without focussing on education and healthcare.
Modi exuded confidence that Modhera would soon become a tourism hub. Facilities are also being launched at the Modhera Sun Temple. He mentioned how in the last several years efforts were made to demolish the temple.
Just less than 70 kilometer away from his birth place Vadnagar, Modi focussed the work of his government at the Centre and said that in the “double engine government” when Narendra and Bhupendra (Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel) meet then it is double development. The statement was also indicative of the party’s “overt” support to Patel’s leadership.
Modi also pointed out how the visitors at the Statue of Unity have outnumbered the number of visitors at the Statue of Liberty in the United States.