Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated a 21 feet tall statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Nimbahera in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district. On this occasion, he also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 944 development works costing about Rs 5659 crore in 15 districts of Rajasthan Government. As soon as he reached the stage of the program, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma welcomed Amit Shah wearing a traditional turban.
Referring to Vande Mataram in his address, Amit Shah said, “Congress had forgotten Vande Mataram in the greed of vote bank. While reciting these words of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's immortal creation, thousands and lakhs of freedom fighters were hanged, took bullets and remained in jail for years.”
Taking aim at the Congress, he said, “On the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, when Vande Mataram was being sung at the Congress headquarters, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi stopped the song midway. We all were watching on TV.
After 80 years, this immortal song was getting respect again but Sonia Gandhi did not like it. The people of the country will never forgive this sin committed by you.” The Home Minister said that this is the 150th year of Vande Mataram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked to give new life to Vande Mataram from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Referring to the development works, Amit Shah said that today 944 works worth Rs 5659 crore have been inaugurated and bhoomi pujan done in 15 districts.
Comparing the schemes of the Central Government, he said, “When Prime Minister Modi started the Har Ghar Nal and Har Ghar Jal Yojana, only 11 lakh houses in Rajasthan had access to water. In 70 years, Congress had provided water to 11 lakh houses, but in just 8 years, Prime Minister Modi has provided water to 64 lakh houses.”
He said, “Prime Minister Modi has done 6 times more work in 8 years than what Congress did in 70 years.” Remembering Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary, Amit Shah said that today on this sacred land of Chittorgarh, BJP workers have worked to build a grand statue and memorial in accordance with the personality of Atal ji. Made at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, this statue reflects the thoughts of 'Atal ji'. He thanked every worker associated with this work.
He said, “For hundreds of years, the brave land of Rajasthan has been the Kashi of bravery for the patriots across the country. This land gave the message to the Mughals that no one can bend us.”
Amit Shah said, “When Atal Bihari Vajpayee became a journalist, he took patriotism forward with his pen. When he became a poet, he took patriotism forward with words and when he became Prime Minister, he took forward the security and good governance of the nation.