On the afternoon of Sunday 15th December 2013 the NDA’s PM candidate Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Shankhnaad Rally at Dehradun’s Parade Grounds. Shri Modi shared his vision for the development of the state of Uttarakhand and assured the people their dreams will be the efforts of the BJP and to fulfill their aspirations would be the BJP’s responsibility.Shri Modi affirmed that the results of the Assembly Elections in 5 states have clearly shown which way the wind is blowing and that the journey towards a Congress Mukt Bharat has begun.
Shri Modi presented a coherent vision for the development of Uttarakhand, highlighting the problems faced so far and the solutions of the problems. He shared that earlier it was believed ‘Yahan Ki Jawani aur Yahan Ka Paani Kaam Nahi Aata’ but assured the people this will change soon. “There is so much water in the hills yet there is darkness. Science can ensure that we can get electricity from water but is the Government in Delhi or the Government in Dehradun interested? They want people to remain poor” pointed Shri Modi.
He also talked about the importance of tourism in a state like Uttarakhand. Shri Modi shared that Uttarakhand is home to several religious places that people want to visit and added that a lot can be done to draw more tourists to Uttarakhand. He recalled that Mecca was not as developed in terms of facilities 30 years ago but after proper facilities were put in place, many more pilgrims came there. Shri Modi opined that people are talking about SEZ now but Uttarakhand has been SEZ for years, a spiritual environment zone. He believed that there is ample scope for adventure tourism to grow in Uttarakhand. He also stated that if the railway connectivity is improved then more pilgrims and tourists can visit Uttarakhand. Shri Modi talked about skill development opportunities for the youth and ensuring excellence in sectors like handicrafts and Ayurveda. He also paid tributes to all those proud sons of Uttarakhand who are serving in the Army and living for the nation.
Shri Modi took on both the Congress-led UPA government and the Uttarakhand government for their anti-people attitude. He affirmed that these governments are cut off from reality and their arrogance is sky high. Shri Modi opined that if the government devoted even half of the energy it is devoting in troubling Baba Ramdev then things would be different. He asked what kind of democracy is this where every day some or the other case is being registered against Baba Ramdev?
He was critical of the Uttarakhand government for their severely partisan attitude in the wake of the Uttarakhand flood tragedy. Shri Modi stated that during times of grief, tragedy and human suffering there cannot be any scope for politics. He recalled that when Kutch was destroyed in a quake everyone, including Pakistan offered help and the Gujarat government accepted their help.
Giving an example of the arrogance of the Congress, Shri Modi pointed that their senior leaders took a press conference in the issue of a Lokpal but if they were so serious about the Lokpal, why has the Congress government not implemented the tough Lokpal Bill that Shri Khanduri brought as the CM, which was even praised by Anna Hazare ji.
Mr. Modi recalled the contribution of former PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the creation of Uttarakhand and also mentioned the role played by Shri Rajnath Singh, who was serving as the Chief Minister of UP that time.He also talked about his close bond with Uttarakhand, a state for which he was the Prabhari.
BJP President Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the rally and made a strong appeal to the people of Uttarakhand to give all 5 seats in the state to the BJP. Leaders of the Uttarakhand BJP unit, former CMs Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Shri BC Khanduri, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Lok Sabha MP Smt. Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah among others were present.
