The Prime Minister accused the Congress-led UPA government (2004-14) of weakening the fight against terror because of which the country has paid a heavy price
Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday criticized the Congress party for its failure to take decisive action against Pakistan following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He also took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, accusing them of stalling several infrastructure projects in Maharashtra, including the Metro Line-3 project.
Mr. Modi inaugurated Phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) and launched the final phase of the Mumbai Metro Line-3. He also dedicated Mumbai One, India’s first integrated common mobility app, which connects 11 public transport operators.
The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Maharashtra. He began his speech in Marathi, extending greetings to the people on the occasion of the Deepawali festival.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Mr. Modi said, “For us, every single rupee spent on infrastructure is a means to enhance the comfort and capability of our citizens. But on the other hand, there has always been a political stream in this country that prioritises the convenience of power over the convenience of the people. These are the people who create obstacles to development work and derail progress-related projects through scams and corruption. For decades, the nation has witnessed the damage caused by such actions.”
Referring to senior Congress leader and former Union home minister P. Chidambaram’s recent statement in an interview — in which he claimed that the then UPA government decided not to retaliate against Pakistan after the 26/11 terror attacks due to intense international pressure and the stance of the External Affairs Ministry — the Prime Minister said the Congress party must tell the people who stopped Indian Armed forces from taking action against Pakistan.
“In 2008, terrorists chose Mumbai for a major attack. At that time, the Congress government sent a message of weakness — a message of surrender to terrorism. A senior Congress leader who also served as the country’s home minister (referring to P. Chidambaram) has now revealed that after the Mumbai attacks, our forces were fully prepared to strike Pakistan, and the entire country supported that action. However, according to that Congress leader, the Congress government stopped the army due to pressure from the leader of another country. The Congress must reveal who that person was, who made such a critical decision under foreign pressure. The country has the right to know,” Mr. Modi added.
The Prime Minister further claimed that the Congress party’s weakness emboldened terrorism and weakened the country. “The nation has repeatedly paid the price for such decisions. For us, nothing is more important than the security of the country and its citizens. Today’s India gives a powerful response — today’s India goes inside (enemy territory) and strikes within their homes,” he said.
In November 2008, around 175 people — including civilians, police personnel, and foreign tourists — were killed during a 60-hour siege, as 10 Pakistan-based terrorists unleashed terror in Mumbai, the financial capital of the country.
Referring to the Metro Line-3 project, the Prime Minister said that its inauguration also serves as a reminder of the misdeeds of certain individuals.
“I had participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of this project. Lakhs of families in Mumbai had hoped that their daily hardships would soon be eased. But then, a government (referring to the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA) came to power for a short time and completely stalled the project. They came to power, but the nation suffered a loss of thousands of crores of rupees, and Mumbaikars faced years of inconvenience. Once completed, this project will reduce a journey that used to take two to two-and-a-half hours to just 30 to 40 minutes. In a city like Mumbai, where every minute counts, people were deprived of this service for three to four years. This is nothing short of a sin,” he said.
The Prime Minister also claimed that the central government has prioritised ease of living over the last 11 years, resulting in unprecedented investment in railways, roads, airports, and metro infrastructure. He highlighted that major projects like Atal Setu and the Coastal Road have been constructed in Mumbai. “We are making efforts to ensure that people do not have to switch between different modes of transport. Mumbai One is a step in that direction. Soon, with a single ticket, a person will be able to travel by train, metro, and bus,” he added.
