‘Those who damaged public property should introspect’

PM LAUNCHES ATAL JAL YOJNA & NAMES ROHTANG TUNNEL AFTER ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, condemning the violent antiCAA protests in Uttar Pradesh slammed the people who damaged public properties, saying they should understand that rights and duties go hand in hand.

“They (the vandals) should ask themselves whether what they did was right. Whatever was torched, was it not of their child’s use? What has happened to those common people and policemen who got injured?” the prime minister asked. He made the remarks in Lucknow after laying the foundation stone for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University.

“Better roads, transport, and sewer are our rights, but it’s our duty to protect it. Quality education is our right but the safety of educational institutions and respect for teachers are our duties. A secure atmosphere is our right, but it’s also the duty of citizens to respect the work of police,” Modi added.

Over 15 people were killed, 263 police personnel injured and state-owned property damaged in violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing a gathering after unveiling a statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Lok Bhawan, referring to Article 370, he said it was an “old disease” and it was resolved peacefully. On the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, he said giving citizenship to those who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to “save the dignity of their daughters”, was another problem whose solution was found by 130 crore Indians.

The Prime Minister, on Wednesday also launched the Atal Jal Yojana, aimed at improving the groundwater level in seven states. He also urged farmers to opt for less water-intensive crops and irrigation methods that will help conserve water.

Explicating the target of the scheme, Modi said the Atal Jal Yojana will help improve groundwater level in 78 districts, in more than 8,300 villages in the states of Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka.

He also said in 70 years, only 3 crore out of 18 crore rural households have had access to the piped water supply. “Now our government has set the target to deliver clean drinking water to 15 crore homes in the next five years through pipes,” he added.

The prime minister, on Wednesday, also named the strategic tunnel under Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a tribute to the leader on his 95th birth anniversary. The 8.8-km-long tunnel will be the world’s longest above an altitude of 3,000 metres and will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres, said defence ministry officials.

After Independence, we have always stressed on rights. But, now when we are moving towards 75 years of freedom, it is the demand of the hour that we should pay equal stress to our duties