Congress criticizes Modi over development in "Vijay Sankalp" programme

The NDA government has turned opposition's "politics of destruction into politics of development" in the past 60 months, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha asserted Sunday, claiming that people will give a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha election. Addressing BJP workers at the party's "Vijay Sankalp" programme in East Singhbhum district, Sinha said the opposition parties have united against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their "desperate attempt to grab power".

Describing the Mahagathbandhan' as 'Mahamilavat', Sinha said, "The Modi-led government has closed shops of the opposition parties during its tenure. They (opposition) are now forming an alliance out of fear of Modi, but the people of the country will give them a befitting reply," Sinha, who is fighting to retain his Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat, said. Listing the development projects undertaken by the central government in Jharkhand, including the multi-purpose Konar dam in his home district Hazaribagh, the minister said, "The difference between the opposition parties and the BJP is that they come to power for personal profits, while we strive to serve the society." He claimed that India's first prime minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru had visited Hazaribagh 64 years ago to set the ball rolling for the multi-purpose project, but it was only after Modi came to power the dam saw the light of the day.

"Nehru visited Hazaribagh on 15th October 1955 for the project. It was decided that the dam would be developed to supply water not just for industrial purposes in Bokaro, but for irrigation too. Sixty-four years had lapsed after that, but the project got to see the light of the day under the Modi government," he said. Similarly, the demand for an airport in Dalbhumgarh remained unfulfilled for decades, but the Modi government recently laid its foundation, Sinha said.

He hailed the relentless effort of local BJP MP Bidyut Baran Mahato, who will contest the election from Jamshedpur parliamentary seat for the second term, for "fulfilling the dreams of the local people". Lambasting the previous governments for failing to address the grievances of the masses, the minister said they were unsuccessful in procuring Rafael fighter jets, but committed scam while purchasing AgustaWestland choppers.

Highlighting the achievements of the double-engine government at the Centre and the state, he said the NDA has opened bank accounts for poor people, constructed toilets, floated health schemes and distributed LPG gas connections, all in a span of 60 months. Among others who spoke on the occasion were sitting MP Mahato, East Singhbhum BJP district committee president Dinesh Kumar and Jharkhand BJP spokesman Rajesh Shukla.

Jharkhand is set for a four-phase Lok Sabha election for 14 constituencies on April 29, May 6, 12 and 19.