In Uttarakhand, Shah sounds poll bugle, seeks another BJP term

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30

After Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister Amit Shah today landed in poll-bound Uttarakhand seeking another term for the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami “to bring prosperity to every home” in the state.

Launching the party’s poll campaign, Shah said Uttarakhand had taken big strides in development due to the vision of Prime Minister Modi.

Speaking of road and rail infrastructure development projects during the BJP rule, he slammed the opposition Congress for “not doing much” for the state during its 10-year rule. “What did it (Congress) do for Uttarakhand during this period? It should tell the people of the state,” he said, adding it was the PM’s vision for the reconstruction of Kedarnath (which suffered extensive damage in 2013) that led to unprecedented development in and around the temple.

Shah credited former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the creation of the state and asked people to give another opportunity to the Modi-Dhami team.

Warning that a wrong decision could lead to a “corrupt government” coming to power, he spoke about former CM Harish Rawat’s sting video showing him negotiating a deal to buy support of rebel MLAs and the ‘Dennis liquor scam’ during his tenure. Claiming the Congress believed in “appeasement”, Shah also recalled how “Muslims were allowed to offer namaz in the middle of highways on Fridays” during its rule.

He also launched schemes for the state, including the CM Ghasyari Kalyan Yojana, which will help women from travelling long distances to fetch fodder.