Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a frontal attack on the Congress-RJD combine in Bihar, charging it with using Dalits and other deprived sections of the society as a “shield to justify their dynastic politics and corruption”.
Addressing a rally in Begusarai district of the state, Modi also made veiled references to the land-for-jobs scam, pertaining to RJD president Lalu Prasad's tenure as the railway minister in the previous UPA government. He alleged that the Congress-RJD combine was guilty of “betrayal of social justice”.
The PM also asserted that social uplift was brought about by his government which worked for the progress of all. Modi, who spoke in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, hailed the JD(U) president as a true champion of social justice, like the latter's mentor Karpoori Thakur who was recently given the Bharat Ratna by the Centre.
The prime minister was speaking after the launch of development projects worth more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the prime minister also exuded confidence that the NDA, which was running a “double engine” government in Bihar, would sweep the elections across the country.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Governor Rajendra V Arlekar, Deputy CMs Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and several Union ministers were among those present at the programme. This was Modi's first visit to Bihar since the BJP-led NDA returned to power in the state after CM Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U), dumped the 'Mahagathbandhan'. Earlier, the Bihar governor and the CM welcomed the prime minister on his arrival at Gaya International Airport.
Addressing the programme, Nitish Kumar told the prime minister that he would remain in the NDA forever.
Modi unveiled national highway projects worth over Rs 18,100 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for a six-lane bridge over the Ganga river, which will be constructed parallel to the existing JP Ganga Setu.
He dedicated to the nation three railway projects, which include the doubling of the Pataliputra-Pahleja line and a 26-km-long new line between Bandhua and Paimar.
The PM also inaugurated 12 projects worth over 2,190 crore under the Namami Gange scheme. These include sewerage treatment plants in Patna, Sonepur, Naugachia and Chapra.
The prime minister also laid the foundation stone for the Amas-Darbhanga four-lane corridor, Danapur-Bihta four-lane elevated road and Sherpur-Dighwara phase of Patna Ring Road. Modi underlined that the people of Bihar, especially the citizens of Aurangabad, are eagerly waiting for the Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway as it will reduce travel time between Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to a few hours.
The PM said the road projects will change the picture of cities such as Patna, Nalanda, Jahanabad, Gaya, Vaishali, Samastipur and Darbhanga. Places, known for tourist destinations, such as Bodhgaya, Vishnupad, Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, and Pavapuri will also be connected with roads, besides the upcoming Darbhanga and Bihta airports, he said.
He laid the foundation stone of Unity Mall in Patna, which will be constructed at a cost of over Rs 200 crore, and provide a boost to the 'One District, One Product' project, and Geographical Indication (GI) products. Besides, the PM laid the foundation stone for six National Highway projects, including the construction of a 55-km-long four-lane road from Amas to Shivrampur, a 54-km-long road from Shivrampur to Ramnagar, 47 km-long four-lane access-controlled greenfield highway from Kalyanpur to Balbhadarpur.
Modi laid the foundation stone for a six-lane bridge over the Ganga river that will be developed as a part of Patna Ring Road. This will be one of the longest river bridges in the country. This project will decongest traffic through Patna city and provide faster and better connectivity between the northern and southern parts of Bihar, promoting socio-economic growth in the entire region.
The PM dedicated to the nation three railway projects in Bihar -- the doubling of Patliputra-Pahleza line, a 26-km-long new line between Bandhua and Paimar and a MEMU shed in Gaya.
