AYODHYA CAN WAIT TEMPLE IN ABU DHABI
Rock star welcome for PM Modi in Muscat, Sultan bends backwards
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at his best overseas. He connects with the audience as few leaders have done in the past. They, too, give him the kind of reception that they reserve for cricketers and Bollywood actors.
In Muscat, he got a rock star's welcome. The royalty, too, rose to the occasion, allowing him to make a speech in the royal box at the Sports Complex, which only Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said uses.
Modi did not disappoint his captive audience either. He had the diaspora in ruptures as he told them he sees a mini-India in Oman. Playing to the gallery, he took a round of the sports Complex in a battery car. Oman was the third stop in a whirlwind 3-nation tour that also took him to
‘‘Aaj koi nahi kehta ki Modi kitna le gaya. Pehle log puchte the ki kitna gaya, ab Modi ko puchte hain ki kitna aaya.’’
the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. He had earlier visited Palestine, becoming the first PM to do so.
The other high spot of his tour was the laying of the foundation stone of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Modi described it as a "catalytic agent" of peace and harmony that will become a symbol of India's identity.
To be built on 55,000 square metres of land, it will be hand-carved by Indian artisans and assembled in UAE. It will be completed by 2020 and be a replica of the BAPS temple in New Delhi and the one under construction in New Jersey. It will have seven towers representing the seven emirates in the UAE.
The event was streamed live from the Dubai Opera House, where PM Modi also addressed the members of the Indian community. "I would like to request all those associated with the temple
construction that the rulers here have shown so much regard for India. They are proud of India's cultural history. Now, it is our responsibility that we do not do anything to mar this sentiment," he told the gathering, amid applause.
He specifically asked people associated with the construction and worshippers not to cause any harm to others. "This is my expectation from you," he added.
He also unveiled the model of the temple and thanked the Crown Prince for the donation of the land. "People were surprised when Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince took forward the talks of building a temple in Abu Dhabi. I whole heartedly thank his highness on behalf of all 125 crore Indians," Modi said, amid applause.
He also called technology a “big medium of global change” and said governments must use it for development, not destruction. Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Modi described his reforms in “e-governance”. The “E”, he said, stands for “effective, efficient, easy, empowered and equitable”. He described his government’s work and spoke about the Goods and Services tax, Aadhaar, soil health cards for farmers, and Start-up India scheme among others. Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.