On 20th November 2022, PM Modi addressed a public meeting in the Dhoraji town of the Rajkot district in Gujarat as he campaigned for the assembly elections of Gujarat. In his speech at this public meeting, PM Modi lashed out at the Congress leaders and so-called social workers who delayed the Narmada project that has brought water to the households in the drought-hit areas of Kutch and Kathiawad in Gujarat. PM Modi’s comments came after Medha Patkar, who led the movement opposing the Narmada Project and delayed it for decades, joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi.
In his 30-minute speech, PM Modi spoke at length about the water revolution that took place in Gujarat during his tenure as the chief minister first and the prime minister later and how it was achieved with the spirit of people’s power. At the same time, PM Modi did not forget to slam those responsible for delaying the projects related to this revolution for more than three decades.
Mentioning the photograph of Rahul Gandhi and Medha Patkar that went viral a day before the Dhoraji public meeting, PM Modi reminded the people of Gujarat to remember the ones who caused the unpardonable delay in the development works and defamed Gujarat on the global diaspora.
PM Modi said, “There has been so much delay in the Narmada project. Pandit Nehru laid the foundation stone of the Sardar Sarovar Dam and it took so much time to complete that Narendra Modi had to come for the inauguration of the same. Just imagine how much time and money was wasted by this delay. And so many people came in between to resist this project for their own reasons. Recently, a photograph was published. A Congress leader is seen in that photograph. Ask him, with what face would he come to you to seek votes. This Narmada was the only way to provide drinking water to our people living in the Kutch and Kathiawad regions. The water of this Narmada river was stopped from reaching your homes for more than three decades. Decades went into courts and procedures. Problems were created. Dirty agitation movements were started to ensure that the water does not reach here. Gujarat was being defamed in order to ensure that no one in the world including the world bank invests money in or gives money to Gujarat.”
Narendra Modi further said, “Yesterday, a Congress leader was walking in a march holding the hand of the lady who orchestrated all this. The photograph of the same has been published. When the Congress leader comes here to seek votes, do ask him why he holds the hand of the one who resisted the Narmada project. Had there been no Narmada water, what would happen to Kutch and Kathiawad? Ask him with what face he comes to seek votes from you. Would you ask them? Ask them loudly.”
It is notable that NGO activist Medha Patkar, who led the propaganda protests against Gujarat’s vital Sardar Sarovar Project, delayed funding for the dam, and for years slowed down the implementation of the vital Narmada Yojana, joined Congressman Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo container Yatra on November 17. Gujarat assembly elections are scheduled to take place in December 2022. The polling will be held in two phases that is on December 1 and December 5. The results will be declared on December 8.