Prime Minister Narendra Modi today slammed Uttarakhand's Congress government, accusing it of lacking political will for development, and urged the electorate to vote for BJP for the state's growth.
Addressing a rally here, he said Uttarakhand has huge potential in tourism and industries sectors capable of generating maximum employment and it needs an honest government to tap that.
He again invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during whose tenure the state was created, saying he had tried to develop the state but he faced difficulties.
"I have been there for two-and-a-half years trying to do something for the state but those in power here are interested only in saving their chair. They are not interested in development," Modi said at his election rally here in the state's industrial belt.
Reminding people of the grand vision Vajpayee had for the state at the time of its creation 16 years back, he asked people to install a BJP government in the state and give the party a chance to serve them.
He said a "double engine", with his government at the Centre and a BJP government in the state, alone can pull the state out of the pit of its woes.
The state would not feel the dearth of anything if BJP comes to power in Uttarakhand, the Prime Minister said.
Exulting over the BJP winning three Council seats of Goarakhpur, Bareilly and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said it is a pointer to what is going to happen in Uttarakhand.
"The unimaginably huge crowds at Rudrapur where people from all over the country reside making it a veritable mini- India are an indication which way the winds are blowing," he said to loud cheers from the crowds.
Describing Uttarakhand as the land of brave soldiers,
Modi referred to the surgical strikes and made a veiled attack on Congress in that context.
He said, "Will you tolerate a party in power which asked for evidence of a rare military operation like the surgical strikes in which our forces inflicted heavy damage after penetrating into enemy territory? Wasn't it an insult to our soldiers? Wasn't it an insult to our country's strengths?"
On the occasion, the Prime Minister shared with people the news about successful testing of an interceptor missile which can hit an incoming ballistic missile at a height of 150 km in the air.
He termed it as a significant milestone and congratulated the scientists for it while noting that it was a feat achieved by only 4-5 countries in the world.
It was an achievement which should make every Indian proud but there are political parties which may once again ask for a proof of this, he said.
Asking people to look upon demonetisation as his campaign against corruption and black money, he said he was fighting for the honest people, the poor and the middle classes.
"It is not small businessmen who have looted the country. They would perhaps lead an honest life if they don't have to oil the palms of bureaucrats. It is the 'babus' and the politicians who have looted the country and I will force them to cough up the money they have looted," Modi said.
He asserted that he had waged a battle against the corrupt and no one can stop him from taking the fight to its logical conclusion.
He asked people of the state to extend their co-operation to him in giving them an honest government which determines their future by building the Rs 12000 crore all-weather 'char dham' roads project which will link four major Hindu pilgrimage centres of the state with proper roads.
It will give tourism a big boost besides generating maximum employment for people of the state, he said.
Modi also spoke of the interest generated in yoga all over the world by the Centre's promotional efforts and the growing interest of people all over the world to come to Uttarakhand to learn yoga.
He said industrialisation of Rudrapur was a contribution of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and he wanted to give it a further boost.
Asserting that he would not shy away from taking any
tough measures to cut down to size those who have looted the country's money, the Prime Minister said stringent rules have been made for those owning benami properties with a minimum punishment of 7 years in prison if proved guilty.
"They are my next target and action against them has already begun," he said.
Making an indirect reference to the sting video in which Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat is purportedly seen negotiating a bribery deal to buy the support of disgruntled MLAs, Modi said it was time people of the state got rid of "bahubali" politicians who are not shy of talking about monetary exchanges even in front of the camera.
