Opposition Trying to Divide Country on Caste and Religion: Gadkari

Una (HP): Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday alleged a section of the opposition is trying to divide the nation on caste and religion with the help of internal and external powers. Gadkari attacked the Congress for trying to "mislead" people about the workings of the BJP and its leaders. He called the Congress a "party of liars and the corrupt" and claimed there are no charges of corruption against the BJP leaders.

Calling the last phase of Lok Sabha polls on June 1 "vital", Gadkari said, "It is the duty of all to elect only those who had worked for their welfare and gave new directions to the nation's policies and programmes." The Union minister was seeking support for the BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur and Kutlehar Assembly candidate Devinder Bhutto.

Only the BJP can bring radical changes to society and work for the welfare of the masses, Gadkari said while addressing a rally at Kutlehar in Himachal Pradesh's Una district.

In the history of India, if anyone worked to connect villages with roads, it was former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said, adding that the BJP stalwart had launched Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana.

"I am not a minister who sells dreams, I actually work and no journalist can question my work," the minister said.

Gadkari said the work on the bridge on Lathiani-Mandali (Govind Sagar Lake) at a cost of Rs 920 crore will start after the elections are over. The bridge would be beneficial for the people of Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur, he added.

He said Himachal Pradesh was getting top priority in road construction with focus on linking inaccessible places through tunnels. Eight tunnels are being made till Leh and 28 ropeways are being made in the state with Rs 16 thousand crore, he added.

Similarly, the Renuka Dam and the Kishau Dam projects were being constructed. He said that what the Congress could not do in 60 years, the BJP government has done in 10 years, and the entire credit for this goes to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He exhorted people to join hands with the BJP and make Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India once again by voting for the BJP candidates.