Cong ploy fails, Modi steals the show in Patan

Donning a black RSS cap, CM Narendra Modi virtually converted the Independence Day celebrations in the North Gujarat town of Patan into a re...

Donning a black RSS cap, CM Narendra Modi virtually converted the Independence Day celebrations in the North Gujarat town of Patan into a religious affair. Patan town woke up today to the sound of bells ringing in temples and the chanting of hymns by BJP workers celebrating Independence Day. At MN Science College in North Gujarat University where the official flag-hoisting function was held, Modi led the ‘‘Ganesh Vandana’’ and ‘‘Saraswati Vandana’’ prayers before unfurling the Tricolour. The ground was filled to capacity with over 30,000 people attending the function.

Not far away at the Juna Ganj Bazaar, the Congress hosted a parallel flag-hoisting function which turned out to be a lacklustre affair with very few people turning up to watch Vithalbhai Pandya, father of slain former minister Haren Pandya, unfurl the Tricolour. Gujarat PCC chief Shankarsinh Vaghela and former CM Amarsinh Chaudhary tried to keep the thin crowd entertained but with little success.

After unfurling the Tricolour, Modi made a string of announcements. For Patan, he announced a Rs 1-crore rural development scheme and another Rs 1 crore for maintenance of all the historical places in the town. He also announced a Rs 2,500-crore scheme to recharge groundwater tables in North Gujarat and bring Narmada River water into Rupen, Banas and Saraswati — the three main rivers in North Gujarat.

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‘‘From today, at least one development work will be taken up in each of the 18,000 villages in Gujarat,’’ he said.

The CM also announced a thorough medical check-up every year for 35,000 school students and the setting up of ‘‘jyotirgams’’ with over 3,000 population which will be supplied uninterrupted power supply for 24 hours. Modi promised to provide heavily subsidised drip irrigation equipment for the farmers in the state. ‘‘We must try not only to make Gujarat the best state in India but also strive to compete with some of the best country-states in the world,’’ the CM said.

The Congress’s plan to embarrass Modi by bringing in Pandya to unfurl the Tricolour seemed to have failed. His references to Modi as a ‘‘dictator’’ did not evoke much response. ‘‘He is a dictator who is out to ruin the state. The people must not make the same mistake and they should remove Modi.’’

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