Modi hits home trail in poll move
vadnagar — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, on Sunday visited his hometown Vadnagar, in Mehsana district, where he inaugurated a medical college and also visited his school.
Striking an emotional chord with the people of his hometown, Modi recalled his journey from being the chief minister of Gujarat to be the prime minister. “I started my journey from Vadnagar and now I have reached Kashi. Just like Vadnagar, Kashi is also the town of Bhole Baba (deity Shiva). Bhole Baba’s blessings gave me immense strength, and this strength is the biggest gift I have received from this land,” Modi said, addressing a public gathering after a roadshow here.
He said he had managed to serve the nation with the blessings of deity Shiva since 2001 despite some people “spewing venom” at him over these years.
Modi said the immense love showered by the people of Vadnagar has given him a new energy to serve the nation with more zeal.
“I am touched by the immense love showered by the people of Vadnagar today. It gave me new energy to serve the nation with more zeal,” he said.
The prime minister also visited his school where he knelt and touched his forehead to the ground. He also offered prayers at the Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple here.
Modi used to vend tea as a young boy at the railway station here.
He inaugurated the Rs5 billion GMERS medical college and also interacted with the medical students in the classroom. This hospital is set to cater to millions of patients in north Gujarat and south Rajasthan, which borders the region.
Modi slammed the previous Congress-led UPA over the state of
I am touched by the immense love showered by the people of Vadnagar (hometown) today. It gave me new energy to serve the nation with more zeal, Narendra Modi
healthcare sector in the country, alleging that it had failed to bring a health policy during its 10-year rule.
He also said that the previous government did not pay attention to increasing the number of seats in medical colleges.
“The last health policy was announced during Atalji’s (former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee) regime around 15 years back. After that, such a government assumed power which used to hate development. It did not have any empathy for the people,” Modi said. “As a result, a new health policy was introduced after almost 15 years by our government,” he said addressing a gathering after inaugurating a medical college here in his hometown.
He said: “I was shocked to find that the stent for the heart cost Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000. The cost itself could give a heart attack to people. I called in experts, doctors and got it studied to know why was it so expensive. I am happy to tell you that there is a reduction of 30 per cent to 40 per cent in it now.” — IANS, PTI