By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 8 Feb: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today virtually addressed the voters of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts. It was his second virtual rally in Uttarakhand and on the second consecutive day. Yesterday, he had addressed the voters of Haridwar Parliamentary constituency, which includes parts of Dehradun city and district. Modi said that this election would play an important role in establishing this decade as that of Uttarakhand. Modi said that he was connected to the voters through technology though he would be fortunate enough to come face to face with the people of Uttarakhand during this election, also, indicating that he would be addressing some physical rallies too.
He disclosed that he would reach Srinagar (Pauri district) on 10 February. He would be able to see and meet the voters of Uttarakhand during his upcoming visits during the current elections.
He reiterated that Uttarakhand is the land of the brave and, here, since independence and even before that, the brave mothers happily sent their sons to the armed forces to serve the country. They applied Tilaks on foreheads of their children and blessed them to serve the country. People of Uttarakhand had made so many sacrifices and it was time for him to remember all those sacrifices reverently today.
Modi said the elections would play an important role in establishing this decade as the decade of Uttarakhand. The coming decade would strengthen the foundation of the state as regards development for the next 25 years. The stronger the foundation, the stronger the building was bound to become. In this Amrit Kaal, there had been an opportunity to take Uttarakhand and the country to new heights.
He added that there were some other parties before the voters in these elections. There were some parties that had sought revenge from Uttarakhand for years and there were also some parties which had come here with the intention of destroying the state. The people who had come here at the time of the polls were those who had forced the Uttarakhandis to move from Delhi by filling buses during the difficult times of Corona. These parties could not arrange food and lodging for them during Corona and pushed the Uttarakhandis out of Delhi. Now they were coming and making big promises for the state.
Targeting the Congress, Modi said the actual intention and allegiance of the Congress could be gauged from its election campaign and slogans. When they were in power at the Centre for many decades, the Congress leaders regularly visited Uttarakhand but only for excursions and not for its development. They never remembered Char Dham during their visits.
The Prime Minister said that, while the BJP wanted to move the country ahead into the 21st century, it was the nation’s misfortune that Congress with its negative thinking and distorted ideology, was trying hard to push back the country into the twentieth century once again. For decades they had crushed the dreams and aspirations of Uttarakhand. But Atal Bihari Vajpayee proved the Congress wrong and in a determined way created Uttarakhand as a separate state and thus strengthened the aspirations of the people.
Referring to the Muslim University reportedly being promised by Congress leaders, he said that it was proof of their politics of appeasement. This episode ought to open the eyes of the people in Uttarakhand towards the reality of the Congress, he said. In contrast, the BJP Government had announced the country’s first National Digital University for every class, for every sect in the budget. It would be of great benefit to the people of hill states like Uttarakhand.
Modi reminded that Uttarakhand was the Tapobhoomi where people from all over the world came for spiritual accomplishment. When a sacrifice was performed with good intentions, some deceitful powers tried to obstruct it. He said that the dreams of such powers ought not to be allowed to come true. The BJP was determined to take this Yagnya of Uttarakhand’s development ahead till its complete accomplishment. The PM appealed to the people to make sure that they participated in the development of the state by mandatorily exercising their franchise on 14 February and then only have breakfast, keeping the mantra, ‘First Vote then refreshment’, in mind.
