PM Narendra Modi lauds infra projects in Ghaziabad by ‘double-engine’ govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the efforts of the “double-engine sarkar” (the BJP government at the Centre and state) for taking up infrastructure projects in Ghaziabad and other parts of western Uttar Pradesh during a virtual meeting on Friday.

“People should recall how they used to sweat if they had to journey from Delhi to Ghaziabad, and further to Aligarh or Meerut. The earlier governments’ works were just on paper, and it is now proven that these samajwadis (socialists) are just parivarwadis (dynasts), while the double-engine government has worked at the grassroots level. Recently, I travelled to Meerut from Delhi within an hour via the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. This shows that the BJP government completes the work it promises,” Modi said.

He also vilified the previous governments for not working enough to develop the state and enumerated the various major infrastructure works that the BJP government had taken up in and around Ghaziabad.

“Ghaziabad is considered the gateway to UP. You know the type of connectivity this district had about five years ago. Our government worked on the extension of the Ghaziabad Metro, the construction of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and the Hindon airport’s civil terminal, considerably improved the district’s connectivity. The Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project will provide residents with better connectivity soon,” Modi said.

The ongoing RRTS project will operate high-speed trains between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut on an 82km-long dedicated route. Its 17km section from Sahibabad and Duhai in Ghaziabad has been named a priority section and it will be the first section to open for passengers in 2023, according to district authorities.

During the jan chaupal that was live-streamed in the western Uttar Pradesh districts of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Aligarh, Hapur and Gautam Budh Nagar, which to go polls in the first phase of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly election on February 10, the Prime Minister, without naming any particular political party, said people were aware of “the loot that took place before 2017 in name of expressways”.

He cautioned people that there was a need for the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to keep away “dabangs” (political strongmen) and “dabangai” (strongmen, flexing their muscle power).

Opposition parties hit back at the remarks made by the Prime Minister, and said the BJP and its leaders were avoiding discussions on real issues.

“The BJP is all talk. But they are not speaking about the real issues of price rise, unemployment, issues of farmers and even deaths and suffering of people during the pandemic. They are just trying to divert attention from real issues,” said Anurag Bhadauria, spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party.

Political analysts also said BJP leaders and the PM are only focussing on crime –one of the major issues during the 2017 elections.

“The PM is trying to focus on the issues that they raised during the previous elections and insisting that the Yogi government is necessary for a safe environment. The PM, since the very beginning, has raised the issue of pariwarvad (dynasty politics) to tell people that he and the UP chief minister are working hard for development in the state without any benefit to their own families,” Sanjay Mishra, associate professor (political science), MMH Degree College, Ghaziabad, said.