BJP, Congress trade barbs over Motera stadium renaming

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended the renaming of the cricket stadium at Motera as the Narendra Modi stadium but pointed out that while the stadium is now named after the prime minister, the larger sports complex of which it is a part continues to be named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first home minister.

At a cabinet briefing, Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad also hit out at the Congress and wondered if the top Congress leaders such as Sonia or Rahul Gandhi have even bothered to visit the world’s tallest statue, that of Sardar Patel, at Kevadiya in Gujarat.

While Javadekar said the two Congress leaders have not even visited the statue, Prasad said, “A tourist place getting global praise has not been visited yet or praised by the two Congress leaders. What else is there to say?”

One Bharatiya Janata Party leader even flashed a list of 23 stadiums, one sports award and 17 tournaments named after members of the Nehrugandhi family.

Earlier in the day, soon after the stadium was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind,

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Beautiful how the truth reveals itself. Narendra Modi stadium Adani end. Reliance end. With Jay Shah presiding. #Humdohumaredo.” The party spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that PM Modi has insulted the two great sons of Gujarat and great international icons, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel while renaming the stadium.