Rajasthan has 25 Lok Sabha seats, and the polling will be conducted in two phases on April 19 and 26.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan’s Barmer district on Friday, April 12, 2024, lashed out the Congress party for its alleged neglect of border villages. The Prime Minister accused the opposition party of deliberately depriving these areas of development due to fears that the infrastructure could be used by the enemy in case of a conflict. In contrast, PM Modi emphasised his government’s commitment to prioritising the development of border regions, considering them as the “first villages” of the country.
Congress’ Anti-Development Stance
PM Modi criticised the Congress party’s approach towards border villages, stating that their thinking is inherently anti-development. He said, “These people call the border villages of the country the last villages of the country. These people deliberately kept the border districts and villages deprived of development because they were afraid that the enemy would come on the roads made by us.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks come in the backdrop of former Defence Minister AK Antony’s admission in Parliament in 2013 that China’s infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was superior to India’s. Antony had acknowledged that this “mistake” had to be accepted by all and that India had started building its infrastructure along the LAC after years of indifference.
BJP’s Focus on Border Development
In contrast to the Congress party’s alleged neglect, PM Modi highlighted his government’s efforts to prioritise the development of border regions. He stated, “We consider the border areas and border villages not as the last villages but as the first villages of the country. For us, the boundaries of the country do not end here; the country starts from here.”
The Prime Minister also mentioned the benefits of the PM Housing Scheme, stating that nearly 1.75 lakh poor people in Barmer have benefited from the scheme, out of the 4 crore beneficiaries nationwide.
Infrastructure Projects in Barmer
PM Modi announced the upcoming establishment of a Rs 72,000 crore refinery in Barmer, which is expected to create employment opportunities and open new avenues for the youth in the region. He promised to return to Barmer during his third term in office to inaugurate the refinery.
Allegations of Corruption in Jal Jeevan Mission
The Prime Minister accused the Congress party of corruption in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan. He said, “Rajasthan, whose people gave their blood for the country, was kept thirsty for water by the Congress. During the time the Congress government was in power in Rajasthan, it indulged in massive corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission.”
Lok Sabha Polls in Rajasthan
With the Lok Sabha elections underway, BJP has fielded union minister Kailash Choudhary from Barmer against Congress’ Umaidaram Beniwal. In Dausa, a constituency reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, the BJP has nominated Kanhaiya Lal Meena against Congress’ Murari Lal Meena.
Rajasthan has 25 Lok Sabha seats, and the polling will be conducted in two phases on April 19 and 26. In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and its alliance partners won all 25 seats in the state.
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