INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
PM Modi said in last two years, the foreign tourists' influx has increased
to the world.Speaking at a campaign rally ahead of November 28 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi said the Swachh Bharat
cleanliness campaign has given a boost to influx of foreign tourists in India."For many years after Independence we did not do anything
which could attract foreign tourists
We repeatedly spoke of things our ancestors had created, like the Taj Mahal and Sun Temple of Konark," the prime minister said."For the
first time after independence, by erecting the Statue of Unity, the world's biggest statue, we have shown the world India's capability," he
said, referring to the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, inaugurated in Gujarat's Narmada district last month."In days to come India will
make a place for itself in world tourism," he added."India has lots of things to offer to the world, its cuisines, rich culture of thousands
of years, languages, but tourism remained neglected after Independence," he added."The filth in the lanes and by lanes (of tourist towns)
discouraged foreign tourists from revisiting
But with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, influx from abroad has increased."In last two years, the foreign tourists' influx has increased," PM
Modi added.The tourism industry generates maximum employment with minimum investment, and the poor, those who sell tea, pakoda, who drive
taxi and auto rickshaw, reap the benefits, the prime minister said.He accused the Congress of playing divisive politics to rule the state
for 55 years."Congress neither has any policy, intention, nor a leaderits leader is confused," he said.As part of the Smart City project, Rs
23,000 crore will be spent on development of seven cities in Madhya Pradesh including Indore over five years, PM Modi said."Let the naamdar
(Rahul Gandhi) write down on a piece of paper how many zeroes are there in Rs 23,000 crore
He will get confused," he said.On Congress leader Digvijay Singh's remark that "his party loses votes if he campaigns", PM Modi said it was
the Congress's decision to keep the former chief minister away from canvassing so that it can hide "sins" of 55-year rule."If he (Digvijay)
campaigns, people will remember the poor infrastructure like road, power during his rule in the state," PM Modi said.Sanitation facilities
have reached 92 per cent of people from 34 per cent in 2014, PM Modi said, adding, "Achieving this would have taken 12 generations (of
Gandhi family)."He also said though BJP is in power in MP for 15 years, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan effectively got only
four-and-a-half years to work as the UPA government was biased against BJP-ruled states."There was a remote controlled government run by
'madam' in New Delhi.they stopped the works of BJP governments
I was Gujarat chief minister, when the work of Sardar Sarovar Dam was stopped, farmers started facing problems, and their crops started
I had to start agitating, I spent ten years fighting Delhi," he said.On Rahul Gandhi's promise about making the state a hub of mobile phone
manufacturing, PM Modi said, "There is no mention of mobile manufacturing in their manifesto
This shows that even his party doesn't take him seriously."
