In his first public address in the Capital since his re-election, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Centre for dilly-dallying on suraaj or good-governance though it has been 60 years since swaraj (Independence).
“India is in the depths of depression. Chhodo yaar, sab chor hai, sab bekar hai say people,” Modi told the students of Shri Ram College of Commerce on Wednesday. It is possible to take the country forward with this same structure, with the same institutions available today, he said.
“I believe in P2G2 or pro-people good governance. I see the glass half full of water, half with air,” the chief minister said.
“I once told an ambassador that our biggest challenge is to see how we are using our opportunities. We are the youngest country in the world today with 65 per cent of the population below 30. But unfortunately we have not been able to utilise this huge advantage. Our country is not poor, we have natural resources but we have not been able to use that properly. This is our main challenge today,” Modi told students.
Students’ groups protested outside SRCC ahead of Modi’s address there on the Gujarat model of development.
Some students were also seen breaking the police barricade.
Earlier in the day, Narendra Modi called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said it was a ‘long and fruitful’ discussion during which Singh assured that he would personally look into the problems the state is facing with the Centre.
”We are in a legal fight with the Centre on the issue of gas supply. Gujarat doesn’t get gas at the price which Delhi, Mumbai enjoy. We went to court and won, but the Centre went to the Supreme Court. A game is on to delay the decision. The PM assured me he would look into it,” Modi said.
Modi also spoke to the PM about the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada and hoped the Centre would soon give permission to build a gate on it, as the work has been pending for some time now.
