Narendra Modi tears into Centre on Jharkhand's backwardness

, Dec 29: BJP's prime ministerial candidate

addressed the Vijay Sankalp Rally at the Dhurwa Ground here on Sunday. BJP president Rajnath Singh and other senior party leaders were present with Modi.

A structure resembling the Indian Parliament has been put up at the stage from where Modi will address the rally. A few months ago, a stage resembling Delhi's Red Fort was erected at the venue of Modi's rally in Chhattisgarh.

2.45 pm: Modi concludes his speech.

2.44 pm: Modi congratulates people for attending the rally in huge numbers. "It gives an idea about our future."

2:42 pm: "The youth needs development not division. They need security and not communal tension."

2.41 pm: "The Congress has become a liability for the nation and it is completely cut-off from the people."

2.40 pm: "We must give skill-development training to our youth. I assure you that if you help us, we will do our best to improve Jharkhand's fortunes."

2.38 pm: "Jharkhand has coal reserves but it is lying in the dark. The coal is right here and we bring it from outside. What vision is this?"

2.35 pm: "Jharkhand gets so much rainfall, yet its water scarcity continues. We have dealt with the same problem in Gujarat with success."

2.31 pm: "We gave the Centre recommendations on arresting price rise. Two-and-half years have gone, yet nothing has been done on the ground."

2.30 pm: "Should the poor not be fed? Is it not the Centre's responsibility? But they talk as if it is not their responsibility."

2.27 pm: "I feel sad when I think the consequence that Jharkhand has met. When I became CM of Gujarat, I took the PSUs towards the road of professionalism and the weak PSUs were turned into profit-making bodies. The same can be replicated throughout the country. But you need a goodwill.'

2.24 pm: "Jharkhand has 14 LS seats. In the 2014 national polls, we should gift all these seats to Rajnath Singh. The state can look forward to a better future then."

2.23 pm: "In an individual's life, the age 13-18 is very important as far his/her development is concerned. Jharkhand has now completed 13 years and it is a crucial phase for its development and will need Delhi's support. But can you rely on those at power in Delhi?"

2.18 pm: "During Vajpayee's times, we saw formation of three new states. They had similar problems. But in Chhattisgarh, the people took care of political stability and that state has developed. Uttarakhand and Jharkhand have fallen back because they didn't have the political stability."

2.17 pm: "Vajpayee will be happy only when he sees Jharkhand becomes the state of his dream."

2.15 pm: "It was Atal Bihari Vajpayee and not the Delhi dynasty who heard the voice of the people of Jharkhand and formed a separate state. We thank him for this."

2.14 pm: The party, which has led the country for most of the time since independence, must be answerable for Jharkhand's backwardness."

2.13 pm: "Jharkhand has rich natural resources. It is blessed with skilled manpower also. Jharkhand can be at par with developed nations of the world but it has remained backward."

2.08 pm: Narendra Modi speaks.

Rajnath Singh concludes speech.

2.06 pm: "Don't look at any other leader but only Narendra Modi."

2.05 pm: "Let the Congress hatch on conspiracies but it will only make Narendra Modi stronger."

2.03 pm: Ahmedabad court has given clean chit to Modi, and the Congress is now accusing him of snooping act: Rajnath Singh.

2.00 pm: Other countries are doing to us whatever they feel and our government is doing nothing: Rajnath Singh.

1.58 pm: The credit of fight against corruption should go to Anna Hazare, says Rajnath Singh.

1.56 pm: Rajnath takes on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, says the latter acknowledged that Naxalism is a problem for the internal security of the country but hasn't done anything to resolve it.

1.53 pm: Rajnath Singh slams the poor electricity situation in Jharkhand, corruption and lack of employment in the state. "Corruption and Naxalism have hurt Jharkhand badly," he says.

1.51 pm: Rajnath Singh tears into the UPA government for doing little for the development of Jharkhand.

"Vajpayee had laid the foundation stone for a power plant in Hazaribagh. Why hasn't it been set up still today?", Rajnath asked.

1.50 pm: Jharkhand was formed along with Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh during the days of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But see the situation in Jharkhand today, says Rajnath.

1.47 pm: India can't forget the contribution of Birsa Munda, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Deepika Kumari to the country, says Rajnath Singh.

1.44 pm: Rajnath Singh speaks at rally.

1.40 pm: Local leaders speak.

1.30 pm: Modi reaches the stage. He is accompanied by Rajnath Singh, former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda, former Union minister Yaswant Sinha and other leaders.

1.27 pm: Modi arrives at the venue.

1.17 pm: Security heightened at the rally venue

Jharkhand is known to be a Maoist stronghold and the authorities are taking no chances, particularly keeping in mind the October 27 Hunkaar Rally in Patna which was rocked by terror attacks.

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