In UP, PM Modi asks to shun casteism, silent on Dalit atrocities

Denouncing politics being played in the name of casteism and nepotism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pitched for a Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh to promote politics of development but skipped any mention of the raging controversy surrounding Dalits.

"You (people) don't need those who play politics of casteism and nepotism. You have filled everyone's pocket but has your pocket been filled.

"My dear youth, nepotism and poison of casteism will not help in development. Support politics of 'vikasvad' (development). I am here to urge you to bless me with your support as you have done earlier (in Lok Sabha polls)," he said at a public meeting in an apparent attack on the main opposition parties in the state without naming them.

Exhorting the people of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to shun politics of family, Modi said, "There has been enough of family and caste politics. You supported everybody. But did they support you as well? Were youth and farmers benefited?".

In a speech delivered after laying foundation stone for an AIIMS and revival of a sick fertiliser plant, Modi skipped any reference to the raging controversy stoked by one of his party leader's attack on Mayawati or the violence against Dalits in Gujarat.

He focused his speech on his efforts to boost state's development.

The prime minister also accused the state's Samajwadi Party government of being unable to spend the central fund for the state's health sector and asked people to choose a government next year which could run for them like him.

"I have given Rs 7000 crores to the state. This is not less for the health sector but the state government has only utilised Rs 2850 crores as there is a provision to show utilisation for taking rest amount. This happened as the state government did not have the strength," Modi said.

"The government which cannot work for the health doesn't deserve to continue," he added.

Modi said the revival of the fertiliser plant is going to bring a big change as gas-based economy will start with supply of gas in Gorakhpur through Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline.

"The gas being brought by the pipeline for the factory will go to every household in Gorakhpur and in a same way water is supplied through pipe. If electricity and gas are provided, then industrialists line up. It is a beginning of an industrial revolution in the eastern UP.

"It is not merely inauguration of a factory but the start of a victory march that will defeat poverty, unemployment...," he said.

In a dig at the previous Congress governments at the Centre, Modi said they used to import urea and other fertilisers while plants remained closed in India.

His government, he said, has decide to revive closed plants and noted that most of them, like in Sindri and Barauni, were in eastern part of the country, which needed to be strengthened if India was to develop.

Modi said the chariot of development can run only when both the wheels were balanced and strong.

"One wheel is of eastern India and another one is of western states. If only one is strong, the development chariot will not move at a high speed," he said.

The prime minister said if the second green revolution will start then it will start from eastern UP.

He said that after taking over as the prime minister, he stopped black marketing of urea and this was the reason farmers were no longer required to face batons to get urea. 

"But I can proudly say that in past one and half years, I did not get any letter from chief ministers for fertiliser as we have checked its black marketing and initiated ways to check their use by chemical factories by using neem coating. Now its easily available in the market", he said.

"In future, we will not import urea but are also making plans to make urea in foreign countries and bring it here", he said.

Giving credit for the foundation laying of AIIMS and revival of fertiliser plant to the people of the state, Modi said, "If someone says that the plant closed for 26 years will reopen because of me, he is wrong. Had the people of state did not give me mandate to form a strong government, this would not have been possible,".

"You have made a government at the Centre, which believes in working. The credit goes to you all. If you elect a government keeping in mind your interests, the government also keep in mind you interests and works on it," he said.

Modi said he has often asked "when he sleeps" but "you people have elected representatives, who don't let me sleep".

Modi said his party was making efforts to chalk out a strategy for urea production so that there was no need to import it.

He noted that for the first time the government has been able to reduce the price of urea.

"If price of vegetables or tomatoes increase, then in 24 hours people are ready to criticise the government. But when prices of important things reduce or important decisions are taken nobody is ready to speak about that," he said.

"Today, I am feeling happy to share with you that due to policies of our government and for the benefit of farmers, we have been able to reduce cost of DAP fertiliser by Rs 2,500 per tonne. Before this no government thought about providing fertiliser at such cheap rates. This is the first government which thought in this direction."

He said the government has launched Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna (Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme) under which farmers would get maximum benefit by paying minimum premium. This scheme has come for the first time after Independence.

Modi said that despite impact on financial resources due to drought, his government has been able to ensure payment of 93 per cent cane farmers.

He said when the Centre has done so much, why is the state government holding on to payment to the rest seven per cent.

Terming the revival of Gorakhpur fertiliser plant as a big change, Modi said after this the economy of the region would become 'gas-based'.

He said urea would be manufactured in this unit through gas, which would be supplied to all households like water.

The PM said that an industrial revolution would start in eastern UP.

"It is not a scheme for a factory. With this foundation of a 'vikas yatra' has been launched which will defeat poverty, unemployment and destruction," he said.

Referring to AIIMS, he said, "AIIMS is considered as a standard in our country. Whether it should be only for the people of Delhi. Whether it should not be brothers and sisters of Uttar Pradesh. A 750-bed AIIMs will be set up with a cost of more than Rs 1,000 crore."

The prime minister noted that many children have died due to encephalitis, but this would not be allowed to happen in the future.

"The children and mothers, who were left for some reason, are being immunised under Mission Indradhanush," he said.

Pointing towards immense possibilities of tourism, agriculture and industrial policy in the region, he said the government was giving emphasis on construction of roads on a largescale.