‘PM Modi has a big heart’: Arjun Modhwadia recalls his tenure as leader of opposition under Modi regime in Gujarat | India News
NEW DELHI: BJP leader Arjun Modhwadia, who recently left Congress to join BJP, shared his experience of working as the leader of opposition in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was the chief minister. The three-time MLA narrated an incident where PM Modi allotted land for Porbandar airport expansion on his recommendation.
The former Gujarat Congress president said that as a leader of opposition, “I would keep my stand and Modi ji would try to accommodate it as much as possible.”
Modhwadia said that PM Modi would say- “When you speak from the opposition, our government takes notes and implements those suggestions that are worth it.”
Talking about the Porbandar airport, Modhwadia said, “I recommended the then aviation minister Praful Patel to increase the runaway length of the airport from 1300m to 2600m so that bigger planes can land too.”
“In an immediate response, Modi ji announced publicly that the land would be given for the expansion of the airport”, Modhwadia said.
However, the project got sidelined after 2012 and the land which was allocated to the airport was given to the Coast Guard.
“After 2012, I was not the MLA anymore and Modi ji became the prime minister. So, the issue got sidelined,” he said.
“The land alloted to the airport was given to the coastguard”, he said, adding, “by mistake”.
“Now, I felt that the Coast Guard comes under defence services and the Gujarat government has no power to stop it, only PM can do it. So, I contacted the then Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. I told him that PM Modi has publicly promised land for airport expansion”, he said.
On hearing from Gujarat CM, Modhwadia said, “PM Modi immediately stalled the project and said that the airport should be constructed come what may”.
Modhwadia left Congress and joined BJP in March asserting that he joined the saffron party without any expectation, and with the sole aim of strengthening the resolve of PM Narendra Modi to make India a prosperous nation.
The former Gujarat Congress president said that as a leader of opposition, “I would keep my stand and Modi ji would try to accommodate it as much as possible.”
Modhwadia said that PM Modi would say- “When you speak from the opposition, our government takes notes and implements those suggestions that are worth it.”
Talking about the Porbandar airport, Modhwadia said, “I recommended the then aviation minister Praful Patel to increase the runaway length of the airport from 1300m to 2600m so that bigger planes can land too.”
“In an immediate response, Modi ji announced publicly that the land would be given for the expansion of the airport”, Modhwadia said.
However, the project got sidelined after 2012 and the land which was allocated to the airport was given to the Coast Guard.
“After 2012, I was not the MLA anymore and Modi ji became the prime minister. So, the issue got sidelined,” he said.
“The land alloted to the airport was given to the coastguard”, he said, adding, “by mistake”.
“Now, I felt that the Coast Guard comes under defence services and the Gujarat government has no power to stop it, only PM can do it. So, I contacted the then Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. I told him that PM Modi has publicly promised land for airport expansion”, he said.
On hearing from Gujarat CM, Modhwadia said, “PM Modi immediately stalled the project and said that the airport should be constructed come what may”.
Modhwadia left Congress and joined BJP in March asserting that he joined the saffron party without any expectation, and with the sole aim of strengthening the resolve of PM Narendra Modi to make India a prosperous nation.
