E-Paper
Himachal Pradesh elections: Shah, Yogi, Nadda raise development pitch on last day of campaigning
Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the double-engine government has scripted a new history of development in Himachal Pradesh
Raising the development pitch on the last day of campaigning for Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the double-engine government has scripted a new history of development in the state.
“Be it IIT, AIIMS, medical college or roads, pathways or electrification, the double-engine government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Jai Ram Thakur spared no effort to develop the state,” Shah said while addressing a rally in Kangra’s Sulah.
Hitting out at the Opposition over nepotism, he said, “Congress ke paas wahan bhi maa-beta hai aur yahan bhi (Congress has mother-son duo there as well as here, referring to Sonia-Rahul duo and Pratibha-Vikramaditya duo).”
Calling the Congress a family centric party, the Union home minister said a hard- working and chivalric worker has no space in it. “Being born as a shehzada (prince) in a royal family is a precondition to make progress in the Congress,” he added. They don’t know, Shah said, that the era of kings and queens has gone and India is a democracy, where the public rules.
He said on observing the entire election campaign of the Congress, he found that they had no agenda and thus only talked about changing government in Himachal.
“Rahul Baba, people of Himachal are not convinced with guarantees, but demand concrete work,” Shah said. The minister also addressed rallies at Paonta Sahib.
Those who can’t protect the country have no right to be in power: Yogi
Addressing a rally at Kullu’s Banjar, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said, “The party which can’t respect people’s faith, strengthen the national security, rebuild its reputation and contribute in its development should not be in power.”
“Those, who don’t work for upliftment of villages, poor, farmers, youth, women and daughters, have not right to rule,” he added.
The BJP leader said when former PM Rajiv Gandhi had stated that only 15 paise of every rupee meant for welfare of downtrodden reach them, he had presented the true picture of what the Congress has done to this country.
“Had the Congress been in power, construction of Ram Temple, scrapping of Article 370, ₹5-lakh health cover and free test, treatment and ration during the Covid crisis would not have been possible,” said Yogi, who also campaigned in Balh and Nachan constituencies of Mandi and Gagret in Una.
Congress has harmed Himachal’s interests: Nadda
Speaking at a rally in Kangra’s Fatehpur, BJP national president JP Nadda said, “It’s the time to renew one of the engines of the double-engine government. If one engine breaks down, Himachal will suffer.”
Accusing the Congress of harming state’s interests, Nadda said instead of giving, the Congress snatched away Himachal’s rights. “Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had given Himachal the industrial package, which the Congress took away. Atal Tunnel was given to us by Vajpayee ji but no work was done to complete it during the 10 years of UPA rule,” he claimed.
Similarly, the Kiratpur-Leh rail line was sanctioned by the Centre in 2015, but Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government did nothing to acquire land for it, Nadda added.
