Attacking the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country's defence interests were compromised for a long time as their governments kept "playing around with files" and delayed procurement of fighter jets, arms, ammunition and other strategic equipment.

Addressing public meetings in Himachal Pradesh after inaugurating strategically-important Atal Tunnel, the prime minister also took a swipe at the Opposition's protest against farm and labour laws, saying those parties also had similar ideas but lacked the courage to implement these measures because they focussed on elections while his government looked at the country's and farmers' welfare.

"Nothing is more important for us than the defence of the country. But for a long time, the country has also witnessed an era when the defence interests of the country were compromised. The Air Force of the country kept demanding a modern fighter plane, while they kept opening and closing files after files, and kept playing around with those files," he said at Rohtang after inaugurating the tunnel.

PM Modi's reference assumes significance in the wake of the government's repeated assertion that the UPA regime had delayed decisions on the acquisition of Rafale fighter jets from France.

"Be it ammunition, modern rifles, bulletproof jackets, equipment that are used in cold weather conditions, everything was kept in abeyance. There was a time when the strength of our ordnance factories would make many jitters, but the country's ordnance factories were left on their own," he said after inaugurating the 9.02-km tunnel, which reduces the travel distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by four to five hours.

It has been billed as the world's longest highway tunnel, connecting Manali and Leh and built at a cost of over Rs 3,000 crore.

Hitting out at the Congress, which headed the coalition government at the Centre during 2004-14, Modi cited a number of strategically important projects, from the Atal tunnel to the airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh and Tejas fighter aircraft production, to assert that they were delayed or almost forgotten.

A world-class organization like the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was created for indigenous fighter aircraft, helicopters, but attention was not given to strengthen it, he said.

The selfishness of people who had been in power for years prevented our military capabilities from being strengthened, Modi said. He questioned as to what "compulsion" and "pressure" might have been behind the delay in projects, without directly naming the Congress.

His government, the prime minister said, has deployed all its strength to develop border infrastructure, adding that never before has work been done at such a big scale, be it building roads, bridges, or tunnels.

For long, he said, border projects could never come out of the planning stage and those which did got stuck or were kept on the back burner and neglected.

The then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had inaugurated the approach road to Atal Tunnel in 2002, but the project was almost forgotten after his government was gone, Modi said, targeting the Congress-led UPA dispensation.

Work on only 1,300 meters was completed by 2013-14, he noted, adding that the project would have been completed by 2040 by this pace before his government took charge in 2014 and speeded it up at an unprecedented rate.

"Our govt increased the pace of construction from 300 meters/year to 1400 meters/year and completed the project in 2020," Modi said. In just six years the government completed the work of 26 years, he said.

He said that according to a 2005 assessment, the tunnel would have been ready in about nine and a half crore rupees but due to continuous delays, today it has taken about Rs 3,200 crore.

Just like the Atal tunnel, this treatment was meted out to several such projects, the prime minister said, adding that Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip remained closed for four to five decades. 
"There was no political will. I can talk about dozens of projects that are important from the strategic point of view, but for years they were neglected," he said, hitting out at the previous Congress-led governments.

In this context, he also referred to the Kosi mega-bridge in Bihar which was envisaged by the Vajpayee government and inaugurated by him last month.

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Veerbhadra Singh recently said the project was originally envisaged by former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1972, while a foundation stone was laid for the tunnel in 2010 by the then UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Later, addressing his public meeting in more than six months ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic forced a nationwide lockdown in March, Modi said the inauguration of the Atal tunnel is part of the central government's resolve that the benefit of development should reach every part of the country and to every person.

"The reason was that some districts did not serve the political benefit of some people. Now work is being done with new thinking of 'Sabke saath se, sabke vishvaas se, sabka vikaas ho raha hai' (Development for all is happening with help of everyone and with the trust of everyone)," Modi said at the public meeting in Sissu village of Lahaul-Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh. 
"There has been a transformation in the government's way of work. Now, schemes are not made based on how many votes are there in an area. Now the effort is that no Indian is left out," he said.

At his second public meeting at Solang Valley, Modi took a swipe at the Opposition's protest against farm reform laws, saying those parties also had the same idea but lacked the courage to implement these measures because they focussed on elections while his government looked at the country's and farmers' welfare.

Modi said those protesting against the laws wanted farmers to live in the previous century, and are now jolted by his government's attack on middlemen.

Attacking the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country's defence interests were compromised for a long time as their governments kept "playing around with files" and delayed procurement of fighter jets, arms, ammunition and other strategic equipment.

Attacking the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country's defence interests were compromised for a long time as their governments kept "playing around with files" and delayed procurement of fighter jets, arms, ammunition and other strategic equipment. Addressing public meetings in Himachal Pradesh after inaugurating strategically-important Atal Tunnel, the prime minister also took a swipe at the Opposition's protest against farm and labour laws, saying those parties also had similar ideas but lacked the courage to implement these measures because they focussed on elections while his government looked at the country's and farmers' welfare. "Nothing is more important for us than the defence of the country. But for a long time, the country has also witnessed an era when the defence interests of the country were compromised. The Air Force of the country kept demanding a modern fighter plane, while they kept opening and closing files after files, and kept playing around with those files," he said at Rohtang after inaugurating the tunnel. PM Modi's reference assumes significance in the wake of the government's repeated assertion that the UPA regime had delayed decisions on the acquisition of Rafale fighter jets from France. "Be it ammunition, modern rifles, bulletproof jackets, equipment that are used in cold weather conditions, everything was kept in abeyance. There was a time when the strength of our ordnance factories would make many jitters, but the country's ordnance factories were left on their own," he said after inaugurating the 9.02-km tunnel, which reduces the travel distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by four to five hours. It has been billed as the world's longest highway tunnel, connecting Manali and Leh and built at a cost of over Rs 3,000 crore. Hitting out at the Congress, which headed the coalition government at the Centre during 2004-14, Modi cited a number of strategically important projects, from the Atal tunnel to the airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh and Tejas fighter aircraft production, to assert that they were delayed or almost forgotten. A world-class organization like the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was created for indigenous fighter aircraft, helicopters, but attention was not given to strengthen it, he said. The selfishness of people who had been in power for years prevented our military capabilities from being strengthened, Modi said. He questioned as to what "compulsion" and "pressure" might have been behind the delay in projects, without directly naming the Congress. His government, the prime minister said, has deployed all its strength to develop border infrastructure, adding that never before has work been done at such a big scale, be it building roads, bridges, or tunnels. For long, he said, border projects could never come out of the planning stage and those which did got stuck or were kept on the back burner and neglected. The then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had inaugurated the approach road to Atal Tunnel in 2002, but the project was almost forgotten after his government was gone, Modi said, targeting the Congress-led UPA dispensation. Work on only 1,300 meters was completed by 2013-14, he noted, adding that the project would have been completed by 2040 by this pace before his government took charge in 2014 and speeded it up at an unprecedented rate. "Our govt increased the pace of construction from 300 meters/year to 1400 meters/year and completed the project in 2020," Modi said. In just six years the government completed the work of 26 years, he said. He said that according to a 2005 assessment, the tunnel would have been ready in about nine and a half crore rupees but due to continuous delays, today it has taken about Rs 3,200 crore. Just like the Atal tunnel, this treatment was meted out to several such projects, the prime minister said, adding that Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip remained closed for four to five decades. "There was no political will. I can talk about dozens of projects that are important from the strategic point of view, but for years they were neglected," he said, hitting out at the previous Congress-led governments. In this context, he also referred to the Kosi mega-bridge in Bihar which was envisaged by the Vajpayee government and inaugurated by him last month. Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Veerbhadra Singh recently said the project was originally envisaged by former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1972, while a foundation stone was laid for the tunnel in 2010 by the then UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Later, addressing his public meeting in more than six months ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic forced a nationwide lockdown in March, Modi said the inauguration of the Atal tunnel is part of the central government's resolve that the benefit of development should reach every part of the country and to every person. "The reason was that some districts did not serve the political benefit of some people. Now work is being done with new thinking of 'Sabke saath se, sabke vishvaas se, sabka vikaas ho raha hai' (Development for all is happening with help of everyone and with the trust of everyone)," Modi said at the public meeting in Sissu village of Lahaul-Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh. "There has been a transformation in the government's way of work. Now, schemes are not made based on how many votes are there in an area. Now the effort is that no Indian is left out," he said. At his second public meeting at Solang Valley, Modi took a swipe at the Opposition's protest against farm reform laws, saying those parties also had the same idea but lacked the courage to implement these measures because they focussed on elections while his government looked at the country's and farmers' welfare. Modi said those protesting against the laws wanted farmers to live in the previous century, and are now jolted by his government's attack on middlemen.

PM Modi inaugurates Atal Tunnel, attacks Congress

Ahead of the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took potshots at the Congress party at an election rally in the hill state&#39;s Kangra district.

PM Modi said the Congress will observe &quot;black money day&quot; on the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8 and burn his effigies, angered over his fight against corruption.

&quot;They&#39;re going to celebrate November 8 as black day and burn my effigies. They don&#39;t know Modi is a disciple of Sardar&nbsp;Vallabhbhai Patel and won&#39;t be cowed down,&quot; PM Modi said&nbsp;at an election rally in Raitt, Kangra.

&quot;Congress is angry because I am fighting corruption,&quot; PM Modi said.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: PM Modi speaking at a rally in Himachal Pradesh&#39;s Raitt <a href="https://t.co/OqAhVgjQZU">https://t.co/OqAhVgjQZU</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/926729098331697152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The prime minister also claimed that senior Congress leaders were not campaigning in Himachal Pradesh because &quot;they have conceded defeat and left CM Virbhadra Singh to his fate.&quot;

&quot;I have heard that Congress has lost the trust of its own leaders and is looking for rebels in other parties,&quot; the prime minister said.

Likening the Congress to termites, PM Modi said the party must be totally finished off as he sought three-fourths majority for the BJP in the state.

&quot;There should not be one polling booth where the Congress termites are left,&quot; the prime minister said.&nbsp;(Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-slams-opposition-for-downplaying-world-bank-report-23490">PM Modi slams opposition for downplaying World Bank report</a>)

&quot;I haven&#39;t come here to ask you to make BJP win. I have come here to ask you to give it a three-fourths majority,&quot; he said.

The prime minister promised that the BJP&#39;s chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal and himself would take the state to new heights of development. He had high praise for Mr Dhumal when he was the chief minister of the state

&quot;The pair of Modi, Dhumal (BJP&#39;s CM candidate) will take Himachal to new heights of development,&quot; PM Modi said.

&quot;There was maximum development in Himachal when Atal ji was in Delhi and Dhumal ji was here in Himachal. You have a chance again,&quot; he said.

The prime minister also criticised the Congress over the party leaders&#39; alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. He added that in those years (the UPA government rule from 2004-2014) one discussed how much money was lost, while now one discussed how much money had come in the government coffers.

&quot;There was a time when newspapers were full of 2G Spectrum and corruption news all over,&quot; he said.

The polling for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly will take place on November 9. Results will be declared on December 18.

The BJP is hopeful of getting a clear majority and defeating the incumbent Congress government in the hill state.

The Congress has already projected Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as the campaign committee chief.

PM Modi said the Congress will observe 'black money day' on the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8 and burn his effigies, angered over his fight against corruption

Ahead of the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took potshots at the Congress party at an election rally in the hill state's Kangra district. PM Modi said the Congress will observe "black money day" on the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8 and burn his effigies, angered over his fight against corruption. "They're going to celebrate November 8 as black day and burn my effigies. They don't know Modi is a disciple of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and won't be cowed down," PM Modi said at an election rally in Raitt, Kangra. "Congress is angry because I am fighting corruption," PM Modi said. #WATCH: PM Modi speaking at a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Raitt https://t.co/OqAhVgjQZU — ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2017 × The prime minister also claimed that senior Congress leaders were not campaigning in Himachal Pradesh because "they have conceded defeat and left CM Virbhadra Singh to his fate." "I have heard that Congress has lost the trust of its own leaders and is looking for rebels in other parties," the prime minister said. Likening the Congress to termites, PM Modi said the party must be totally finished off as he sought three-fourths majority for the BJP in the state. "There should not be one polling booth where the Congress termites are left," the prime minister said. (Also Read: PM Modi slams opposition for downplaying World Bank report) "I haven't come here to ask you to make BJP win. I have come here to ask you to give it a three-fourths majority," he said. The prime minister promised that the BJP's chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal and himself would take the state to new heights of development. He had high praise for Mr Dhumal when he was the chief minister of the state "The pair of Modi, Dhumal (BJP's CM candidate) will take Himachal to new heights of development," PM Modi said. "There was maximum development in Himachal when Atal ji was in Delhi and Dhumal ji was here in Himachal. You have a chance again," he said. The prime minister also criticised the Congress over the party leaders' alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. He added that in those years (the UPA government rule from 2004-2014) one discussed how much money was lost, while now one discussed how much money had come in the government coffers. "There was a time when newspapers were full of 2G Spectrum and corruption news all over," he said. The polling for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly will take place on November 9. Results will be declared on December 18. The BJP is hopeful of getting a clear majority and defeating the incumbent Congress government in the hill state. The Congress has already projected Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as the campaign committee chief.

Congress angry because I am fighting corruption: PM Modi in Himachal

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PM Modi inaugurates Atal Tunnel, attacks Congress

Congress angry because I am fighting corruption: PM Modi in Himachal