Modi makes an emotional appeal on his visit to Dantewada

ImageCourtesy: www.thehindu.com

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Naxal affected Dantewada district in Chattisgarh on Saturday. Two big projects for setting up of ultra mega steel plant and the second phase of Rowghat-Jagdalpur railway line will be inaugurated during the Modi’s visit. He will also interact with the children and visit an educational city that aims at providing education to under-privileged children living in the area.

A 140-km railway track will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 24,000 crore. It will connect the Bastar region to important cities like Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg. These projects are expected to rapidly help in the development of Bastar which is considered a ‘backward’ region.

He will also visit New Raipur to inaugurate the Indian Information Technology and the Police HQ. Also, he will lay foundation for construction of 40,000 affordable houses for the LIG and EWS groups (Lower Income Group and Economically Weaker Sections) in New Raipur.

He also made a speech to a well attended public. Soon after his speech began, rumors flew that the Maoists have taken 400-500 villagers as hostages in order to oppose Modi.

“Large number of armed cadres stormed into Marenga and adjoining villages under restive Tongpal police station limits late last night and took away 400-500 villagers, including women and children, along with them,” Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police, Harish Rathore said.

Meanwhile, R P Kalluri, I G Bastar Range, said, “The hostage situation is a fiction created by the media. Yesterday, some Maoists came to the village where bridge construction is underway and they have taken five-six labourers who were working on the bridge. As a usual practice, some villagers of Marenga and nearby villagers have gone to the jungle to speak to the Maoists, negotiate and bring these five-six labourers back…but reports of 500-600 villagers held by Maoists is total fiction,” he said.

During his speech, he also targeted at the UPA Government without taking its name. He talked about the coal scam alias Coalgateand said that the BJP government mines in the most transparent manner. “We have shown that his country can be governed with honesty,” he said.

He also made an emotional request to the Naxalites saying,”You all should give up arms for at least five days and time with the families who have been killed by you in senseless violence and sit with them as a common man and try to understand their grief.”

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About Shruti Dabholkar

Shruti Dabholkar is a young and an aspiring journalist who covers political news on the national front. She is an ambitious and desiring girl who finds politics interesting. She writes articles for Spectralhues. She can be followed on Twitter: @Shruti_d9.