Narmada dam issue after many days in Gujarat polls. Medha Patkar, leader of ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’, joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attack on Rahul without leaving Gujarat polls yesterday, “A Congress leader is seen marching with a woman. She is the woman who stalled the Narmada Dam project for three decades.”
Schedule of Rahul Gandhi
Rahul is scheduled to hold two rallies in Gujarat this week. In Surat, where Congress capitalized on the anti-GST fury of textile and diamond traders in the last assembly elections. The other will be held in Rajkot, where polling will be held on December 1. Today i.e., Monday and Tuesday, Rahul will postpone his India Jodo Yatra.
Modi had already told the BJP leaders of Gujarat that the Congress is not yet campaigning on a large scale, so the caution should not be relaxed. He advised all workers to be proactive, suggesting that Congress could adopt a strategy to reach out to the people while maintaining some secrecy in the face of the BJP. According to a section of people who are aware of Gujarat politics, yesterday Modi gave a message to strengthen the party by attacking Rahul on the issue of Narmada.
Modi’s speech to the public
“Don’t vote for those against the Narmada dam project,” Modi told the crowd. He also referred to this project as the ‘lifeline’ of Gujarat. At the same time, this ex-chief minister of Gujarat advised the Janata, “When the Congress comes to seek votes, say that your leader is walking with someone who is against the Narmada project.”
BJP President JP Nadda campaigned in Gujarat the day before yesterday and referred to Medha as ‘anti-Narmada’ and ‘anti-Gujarat’. He claimed that the people of Saurashtra are being deprived of Narmada water because of the merit movement. While maintaining this tone of attack, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s tweet attacked Rahul, ‘Rahul is standing by those who deprived Gujaratis of water. Gujarat will not forgive them’.
Incidentally, BJP’s relationship with Medha, who is known as a social worker, is very bad from the beginning. Even in 2017, Medha expressed his objection to the Gujarat Sarovar Dam. About the Narmada project, he informed us that 1000 Dalit families will be displaced for the construction of the dam.
Conclusion
While campaigning at Gir Somnath yesterday, the Prime Minister said, “I want BJP candidates to win in every booth.” Then he asked the crowd, “Can you do this for me?” He went to Somnath temple in the morning and offered puja. According to a tweet by a news agency, the Prime Minister was praying at the Somnath temple. He also participated in the puja reading. Besides, he is also seen meeting with the priestly community. Modi held an election rally in Valsad the day before yesterday evening. He held a closed-door meeting with the party leaders after the campaign meeting. Hopefully, after so many activities, the Prime Minister will get the results he expected in the elections.