Article 370 was Congress’ gift, I ended it: PM Modi

Rewari, Feb 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said that the people of the country would reward the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 400 seats in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a public gathering after laying the foundation of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and inaugurating several projects in Rewari in Haryana, the PM said, “People have taken a resolution, and they are saying that the BJP, which removed Article 370, will be rewarded with 400 seats. They are saying ‘Abki Baar NDA Sarkar 400 Paar.’”

He said that Article 370 was the gift of the Congress to the nation which he had ended.

“India failed to progress in the Congress rule and only scams and blasts made headlines before 2014,” PM Modi said.

He said that for decades, the Congress had created obstacles in the abrogation of Article 370 of the constitution, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state of J&K.

The PM said that he had given a guarantee and fulfilled it by scrapping Article 370.

“The Congress’ track record is to keep the interest of one family above that of the country and its people,” he said. “The Congress’ track record is of the biggest scams in history.”

PM Modi said that seats were important in a democracy but for him, people’s blessings were the biggest asset.

RAM TEMPLE

He flayed the Congress over its stand on the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, saying those who used to call lord Ram imaginary and did not want a temple to be constructed were also chanting ‘Jai Siya Ram’ now.

“As prime ministerial candidate, I had given some guarantees. The country wanted a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and it has been fulfilled,” the PM said.

3rd BIGGEST ECONOMY IN 3rd TERM

He said India had touched new heights in the world today and that it had been possible because of people’s blessings.

Referring to his visit to the UAE and Qatar this week, PM Modi said the respect that India now gets from every corner was not of Modi alone, but of every Indian.

He said his first event after the BJP declared him as its prime ministerial candidate in the run-up to the 2014 general elections was in Rewari in September 2013.

“Nowadays, there is a lot of talk in the country and across the world about Modi’s guarantee and Rewari was the first witness to Modi’s guarantee,” the PM said. “In the 10 years of our government, India rose from the 11th spot to become the 5th largest economy in the world and it was due to people’s blessings.”

He said India successfully hosted the G-20 summit last year because of the people’s blessings.

“I need your blessings to make India the 3rd largest economy in my 3rd term,” PM Modi said.

During his visit, he inaugurated and laid the foundation of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 9770 crore related to urban transport, health, railways, and tourism.

To be built at a cost of about Rs 1650 crore, the AIIMS-Rewari would be developed on 203 acres of land in Majra Bhalkhi village.

The AIIMS-Rewari would have a hospital complex with 720 beds, a medical college with 100 seats, a nursing college with 60 seats, an AYUSH block with 30 beds, residential accommodation for the faculty and staff members, hostel accommodation for undergraduate and postgraduate students, a night shelter, and a guesthouse.

Established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), the AIIMS-Rewari would provide comprehensive, quality, and holistic tertiary-care health services to the people of Haryana and some of the neighbouring states.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the Gurugram Metro Rail project, which would be developed at a cost of about Rs 5450 crore.

The project, with a total length of 28.5 km, would connect Millennium City Centre to Udyog Vihar Phase-5 and merge into the existing network of Rapid Metro Rail Gurugram at Moulsari Avenue station near Cyber City.

The PM also inaugurated a newly-built Anubhav Kendra Jyotisar, Kurukshetra.

This experiential museum has been built at a cost of around Rs 240 crore.

He laid the foundation stone and dedicated multiple railway projects to the nation.

The projects whose foundation stone was laid include the doubling of the 27.73 km Rewari-Kathuwas rail line; the doubling of the 24.12 km Kathuwas-Narnaul rail line; the doubling of the 42.30 km Bhiwani-Dobh Bhali rail line; and the doubling of the 31.50 km Manheru-Bawani Khera rail line.

PM Modi also dedicated the 68-km Rohtak-Meham-Hansi rail line to the nation.

The rail line would reduce the travel time between Rohtak and Hisar.

He also flagged off a train service in the Rohtak-Meham-Hansi section.