Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about the lack of foresight in previous governments’ infrastructure development, calling it an “insult” and reminding him that the country wasn’t built in a day. In a tweet, Gehlot said that Modi should remember that he inherited a “developed” country after 67 years of progress when he became Prime Minister in 2014. He added that Modi should refrain from criticizing previous governments in government programs.
Gehlot’s tweet was in response to Modi’s statement during a program in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, where he launched various projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore. The Prime Minister took an indirect dig at Congress, stating that those who measure everything with votes were unable to devise plans keeping the country in mind. “Because of this thinking, priority was not given to infrastructure development in the country,” he said.
Modi went on to say that if sufficient medical colleges had already been built, there would have been no shortage of doctors, and if every house had access to water earlier, the Jal Jeevan Mission would not have been necessary.
In response, Gehlot said that the opposition should be respected in democracy and that Prime Minister Modi “will also move in this direction”. “If this is done, the ruling dispensation and the opposition will be able to serve the country with more vigor,” he said. Gehlot further added that the country saw progress in every field, including education, health infrastructure, railways, and IT, after independence.
“The meaning of today’s speech of Modi was like a 21-year-old youth who got a job being told why they didn’t get a job 20 years ago. I would like to appeal to Modi that as a Prime Minister, instead of insulting your predecessors in government programs, you should thank them because they handed over such a country to you which you can represent in the world today,” Gehlot added.
Gehlot also highlighted the progress India has made in terms of electricity installed capacity, which increased from 1362 MW in 1947 to about 2.5 lakhs MW by 2014. He said that the country was built over time, and Modi should not overlook the progress made by previous governments.
