Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot today slammed the Modi government for closing Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, alleging the BJP's decision to do so smirks of "political vendetta".
"The decision is most unfortunate and smirks of political vendetta. This is the third major project to be shut down in Amethi, since the Modi government came to power at the Centre, only because it is the constituency of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi," Gehlot said.
Earlier, he said that the proposed Mega Food Park and Hindustan Paper Mill projects were also shelved because they happened to be in Amethi.
"It was the then HRD Minister Smriti Irani, who was adamant to close IIIT Amethi and she had announced shutting it down in May.
"Unfortunately, the new HRD Minister carried on with the decision of his predecessor," he said.
Gehlot said the institute was set up in 2005 by the efforts of Rahul Gandhi for the development of the area but now the BJP is working to disrupt all the developmental works done by the Congress in Amethi and other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
"Shutting down an established institute is not only playing politics with the local people but also a waste of resources," he added.
