Uttarakhand polls: Vote BJP to power, change the fate of state, says PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally on Sunday in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.

Pic courtsey: @BJP4UK

Shrinagar: Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have only progressed in the recently formed states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress of ruining Uttarakhand and playing with the aspirations of the people.

"Why did Congress oppose creation of Uttarakhand as a state? Those who cannot think well of the people here, how can they govern?" Prime Minister Modi said while addressing an election rally here.

Accusing the Congress government in Uttarakhand of having no vision for growth even though the state has great potential in tourism and allied sectors, PM Modi asked the people to vote out the ruling party and give BJP a chance to ensure new heights of development in the next five years.

भाजपा विकास के मुददे पर आप से वोट मांग रही है श्री: @narendramodi लाईव देख @BJP4UK पर Vote4BJP — BJP Uttarakhand (@BJP4UK) February 12, 2017

"Have you ever thought why despite having such great potential Uttarakhand has lagged behind Chattisgarh and Jharkhand which were created together by Atal Bihari Vajpayee? In spite of the Maoist problem, Chattisgargh with a BJP government has established itself among the fastest growing states," he told a poll rally at the GITI Maidan here.

Modi trained his guns on the Congress and said the former insulted the soldiers by asking for proof of the surgical strikes conducted last year across the Line of Control (LoC).

"Before Pakistan, our politicians took to streets seeking proof for surgical strikes. Isn’t this an insult to our armed forces?", Modi asked

Shifting his focus on One Rank One Pension (OROP), Prime Minister Modi said the Congress Party deceived the soldiers as they had no knowledge of the scheme.

"The Congress made a joke out of OROP. Congress has humiliated defence personnel; they demanded the proof for surgical strikes. For One Rank, One Pension, they allocated just Rs 500 crore," he said.

"We calculated the cost of One Rank, One Pension and it came to Rs 12,500 crore. Of this, more than Rs 6,000 crore has been disbursed," he added.

कांग्रेस ने OROP को लेकर फौजियों के साथ धोखा किया था कांग्रेस को OROP के सम्बन्ध में कोई जानकारी ही नहीं थी श्री: @narendramodi — BJP Uttarakhand (@BJP4UK) February 12, 2017

Modi also launched a sharp attack on the Harish Rawat-led government in Uttarakhand and promised to take the state to newer heights over the next five years.

Confident of a BJP victory in the state, the Prime Minister said the current government will be relegated to the past on March 12, a day after the Assembly election results in the five states will be announced.

Claiming that the Congress government in the state was devoid of the vision to drive it on the path of development, he appealed to the people to vote overwhelmingly in support of BJP this time to change their fate.

Modi said that he has grand plans to tap the state's tourism potential and herbal wealth to lure visitors from all over the world to its doorsteps.

"Tourism will be given top priority in Uttarakhand. You have sent me to Delhi and I will fulfill all your wishes," PM said.

उत्तराखंड का विकास हमारी प्राथमिकता है। हम विकास के रास्ते पर चलना चाहते हैं और इसमें हमें आपका साथ चाहिए: श्री Narendra Modi #BJP4UK pic.twitter.com/fpjCDjq5Cw — BJP Uttarakhand (@BJP4UK) February 12, 2017

यहां का पर्यावरण, पर्यटन और पौधा भी अर्थव्यवस्था को बदलेंगा श्री: @narendramodi लाईव देख @BJP4UK पर Vote4BJP — BJP Uttarakhand (@BJP4UK) February 12, 2017

The Prime Minister extended his support to the commoners and assured that he would not let the ones who looted the common people have a sigh of relief.

Reiterating the wonders a common man can do, the Prime Minister said by the support of 1.25 crore people he (who was once only a tea seller) can fight back powerful people.

"For 70-years these powerful people looted the nation, they think what can this chai wala do? They are very powerful people but I have blessings of 125 crore people of India and hence this chai-wala is able to fight these people (who looted the country)," he said.

"1.8 crore households now have a gas connection. I promise we will ensure every household in Uttarakhand has a gas connection," PM added.

हमने निर्णय किया है पांच करोड़ परिवार जिनके पास गैस का कनेक्शन नहीं है उनको मुफ्त में गैस कनेक्शन दिया जायेगा श्री: @narendramodi — BJP Uttarakhand (@BJP4UK) February 12, 2017

Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a rally in Uttarakhand's Rudrapur on Saturday had slammed the opposition for asking for proofs regarding the surgical strikes, saying that the time has come for the opposition to pay for their sins.

"It has become important to defeat the people who don`t have any interest in development and only want to save their seats. Now the time has come when they (opposition) need to pay for all everything that they have done," he said.

Uttarakhand goes to polls on February 15.