Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a veiled yet stinging attack on the Congress, accusing those who “pretend to uphold the Constitution and shed crocodile tears in the name of social justice” of committing decades of injustice for political gain, leaving Chhattisgarh deprived of roads, schools, and hospitals under the shadow of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).
Addressing the Chhattisgarh Rajat Mahotsav in Nava Raipur to mark the 25th anniversary of the state’s formation, the Prime Minister said the people had endured 50–55 years of pain due to Maoist terrorism.
“Those who ruled the country for decades abandoned the people to their fate while enjoying the comforts of life,” he charged, in a clear reference to the Congress-led UPA regimes, without naming them directly.
PM Modi said he could not bear “countless mothers weeping for their children” and resolved in 2014 to eradicate Maoist terror from the country.
“Eleven years ago, over 125 districts were affected; today, only three remain with traces of activity,” PM Modi declared, asserting that “the day is not far when Chhattisgarh and India will be completely free from Maoist terrorism.”
Highlighting a surge in surrenders, he said more than 200 Maoists laid down arms in Bastar on October 17, over 20 in Kanker recently, and dozens nationwide, including several with bounties worth lakhs and crores, who have now embraced the Constitution.
The Prime Minister said the elimination of terror has transformed once-forbidden zones. Chilkapalli village in Bijapur has received electricity after seven decades; Rekawaya in Abujhmad now has its first school since Independence; and Puvarti, a former rebel stronghold, now waves the Tricolour instead of the red flag.
He added that Bastar, once synonymous with insurgency, now hosts vibrant events like the Bastar Pandum and Bastar Olympics, symbolising a return to peace and normalcy.
“Imagine how far Chhattisgarh has progressed despite Naxalism — and how much faster it will grow once fully overcome,” PM Modi said, emphasising the state’s critical role in building a developed India.
Alongside his anti-LWE message, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 14,260 crore spanning roads, industry, healthcare, and energy.
Key initiatives include a Rs 3,150 crore four-lane highway to Jharkhand, establishment of new medical colleges, power substations, and the Nagpur–Jharsuguda gas pipeline.
Addressing the youth, PM Modi said: “This is your time; no goal is unachievable.”
Assuring full government support for Chhattisgarh’s progress, he concluded: “Together, we will advance Chhattisgarh and the nation.”
Governor Ramen Deka, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, and Union Ministers Jual Oram, Durga Das Uikey, and Tokan Sahu were present at the event.
(IANS)
