‘Set up research centre at Dhankya’

THE MEMORIAL HAS A 15FEET STATUE OF UPADHYAYA MADE OF ASHTADHATU AND A FOURSTOREY CIRCULAR BUILDING WITH A DOME . IT HAS BEEN BUILT AT A COST OF ₹14 CRORE

DHANKYA (JAIPUR): BJP national president Amit Shah on Wednesday urged the Rajasthan government to set up a research centre at Dhankya, where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya spent his childhood, to promote research on his ideology of Antyodaya.

Addressing a small gathering here, Shah said a research centre should come up at the national memorial so that people can carry out research on Upadhyaya’s ideology.

Shah along with chief minister Vasundhara Raje dedicated the Deendayal Upadhyaya national monument to the nation on his 102nd birth anniversary.

The memorial comprises a 15-feet statue of Upadhyaya made of ashtadhatu and a fourstorey circular building with a dome spread across 4,500 square meters. The monument has been built at a cost of ₹14 crore with land acquired from the North Western Railways. The railway quarter where he spent his childhood has also been preserved. There are panoramas in the memorial depicting his life and works.

Shah said that Upadhyaya worked quietly his whole life and never hankered for fame unlike many leaders today who run after fame and fortune. “He worked like a tapasvi and gave good direction to politics. As a result, today the BJP has emerged as the world’s largest party. It is the BJP’S duty to ensure that Upadhyaya’s thoughts and teachings reach each and every doorstep.”

Shah said the 20 BJP government in states and at the centre are following Upadhyaya’s ideal of Antyodaya, which has resulted in improving the lives of 50 crore poor people by providing them facilities such as cooking gas, toilets, electricity, houses, health insurance to farmers and MSP to farmers.

In her address, Raje thanked Union railways minister Piyush Goyal for providing land for the memorial. She said Upadhyay had given a new direction to Indian politics and created a small but strong opposition party that has today led to the formation of the BJP as the world’s largest party.

Goyal said that the railways would help in the upkeep of the memorial.