How Narendra Modi drew political mileage out of huge industrial investments made in UP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to take full political mileage out of the huge industrial investment, which according to the state government, has begun to pour into Uttar Pradesh.
Felicitating entrepreneurs, who were in Lucknow to mark the commencement of their promised investment of Rs 60,000 crore in 81 different projects across the sprawling state, Modi described it as a "record-breaking" achievement. "This is not just a ground-breaking ceremony, but a record-breaking achievement for which the credit goes to not only state chief minister Yogi Adityanath, but also his team of officials," he told a massive gathering of industrialists in the state capital on June 29.
Significantly, this was Modi's second visit to Lucknow in two days. He was here on June 28 to lay the foundation for 99 projects worth Rs 3,897 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Amrut Yojana and the Smart City Mission in Lucknow. Virtually in poll mode, he also held an interactive session with beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Even though the UP government could manage to translate only a fraction of the memorandums of understanding worth Rs 4.28 lakh crore signed at an Investors Summit held at the same venue — Indira Gandhi Pratishthan — in February 2017, the Prime Minister chose to term it as a huge achievement. He said, "The fact that the UP CM and his team have been able to translate Rs 60,000 crore worth of MoUs into reality is no mean achievement and that too in a state like Uttar Pradesh where any investment was considered a big challenge."
He went on to add, "Looking at the success story scripted in a matter of five months and the state's potential, I can predict that the day is not far when UP will also become another trillion economy." Interestingly, he had made the same remark about Maharashtra, while addressing the February Investors Summit in Mumbai.
Without explaining how, he claimed that the investments already in the pipeline would generate as many as two lakh jobs in UP. Meanwhile, Yogi Adityanath also claimed that UP had emerged among India's five key states distinguished for 'ease of doing business'.
Contrary to reports about increasing rapes and crimes against women, the Prime Minister chose to give credit the UP CM for "bringing down crime in the state". He further sought to praise Yogi Adityanath for "holistic vision and inclusive action", when the UP chief minister is widely known for not missing a single opportunity to give a communal turn to anything and everything.
आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी ने आज इंदिरा गांधी प्रतिष्ठान, लखनऊ में उत्तर प्रदेश में औद्योगिक निवेश की 60 हजार करोड़ रुपये से अधिक की 81 परियोजनाओं की आधारशिला रखी। #UPToNewIndia pic.twitter.com/8dKl9zrJZn
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 29, 2018
Referring to the huge mandate that he got in UP in 2014, which propelled him to the Prime Minister's chair, Modi sought to give a political twist to his address. "I had promised the 22 crore people of this state that I will repay them for the huge support and love they gave me, and that is what I have started to do now," he said. Modi also made it a point to clarify that unlike the past, when investment was largely limited to Noida and
Greater Noida, it was now going to be evenly spread across the entire length and breadth of the state.
Describing India as the second-largest mobile hub in the world, he hailed Uttar Pradesh for emerging as the largest manufacturer of mobiles in the country. "In fact, UP now has the world's biggest mobile manufacturing factory," he pointed out.
As if to invoke the memory of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who remained a popular member of Parliament from Lucknow for several terms, Modi sought to recall his (Vajpayee's) rich contribution towards building the country's infrastructure and claimed to be fulfilling the ailing veteran BJP leader's dream.
He said, "Now, by cleaning up the coal ministry, that stood completely blackened, we have succeeded in ensuring large-scale improvement in the energy sector." He went on to add, "It is heartening to announce that the energy reforms introduced over the past four years and the large-scale switch over to LED bulbs has already reduced the nation's electricity bill by a whopping Rs 50,000 crore." He also emphasised on the need for moving to solar energy.
Expressing deep concern over the neglect of the agricultural sector, the Prime Minister urged corporate houses to pay greater attention to investment in the agro-industries. Recalling his interaction with captains of the corporate sector in Mumbai, Modi said, "I personally drew their attention to the extremely poor investment (barely 1 per cent) in the agri-sector, which was largely limited to manufacture of urea and tractors."
Taking a dig at his political rivals, who often accuse him of playing into the hands of big business houses, Modi sought to give himself a clean chit by declaring, "I have no hesitation in admitting that I keep meeting industrialists. I see nothing wrong in it as they are partners in the development of the nation. In fact, I do it openly unlike others who do so on the sly."
#WAICTH: PM Modi in Lucknow says, "we aren't the ones who are scared of standing next to industrialists. Jab niyat saaf ho,irade nek ho, to kisi ke saath khade hone se daag nahi lagte. People who don't meet industrialists in public but do everything behind curtains remain scared" pic.twitter.com/mpUfQxZLf0
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 29, 2018
In the same vein, he went on to point out, "Even Mahatma Gandhi used to have close connections with industry stalwart GD Birla but there was nothing shady about it. So no eyebrows were raised... When your intentions are good, then there is nothing to worry and that is precisely the case with me. I have no qualms about getting myself photographed with industrialists, but some of my rivals systematically avoid that because they have much to hide."
He used his subtle oratory skills to train his guns at the Opposition in general and Congress in particular. "When they ask me to give an account of my performance, I simply like to tell them that while I have only four years to account for, they need to give an account of the work done in the 60 years they have ruled this nation," he said.