In the past 18 months, several projects in the Gandhi bastion have either been shut down or shifted out of the constituency, with the closure of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) campus in Amethi being the latest in the row.
The ruling BJP and principal opposition entered into a war of words over government projects in the VVIP Lok Sabha constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. While Congress alleged that BJP was creating a hurdle in approving projects in the two constituencies and was trying to wipe out the Gandhi- Nehru family name from institutions and public projects, BJP brushed aside the allegations and said that institutions named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BR Ambedkar met the same during the Congress regime.
In the past 18 months, several projects in the Gandhi bastion have either been shut down or shifted out of the constituency, with the closure of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) campus in Amethi being the latest in the row. Congress president Sonia Gandhi represents Rae Bareli constituency, while her son Rahul is an MP from Amethi.
Raising the issue in the Upper House, Congress MP from the state, Pramod Tiwari alleged that BJP was being vindictive. “How can the government shut down an institution and force students to migrate to other campus,” asked Tiwari. He also alleged that the BJP government was trying to remove and distort the name of Gandhi Nehru family from public spaces.
The HRD ministry has shut the IIIT campus at Amethi and have asked the student to migrate to Allahabad. The infrastructure will now be used for the running a satellite campus of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University campus Lucknow. Former HRD minister Smriti Irani during her visit to Amethi in May had made the announcement.
The HRD ministry sources however said that the campus has been shifted out since it did not enroll any local student thereby defeating the purpose of the institution.
In the recent past, Sharamshakti Food Park project in Jagdishpur has been scrapped. Jagdishpur Paper Mill was shifted out of the state in December, work of AIIMS coming up at Rai Bareli is also held in the limbo and the proposed Rajiv Gandhi Cancer institute is yet to take off.
“The Ccentre should stop playing politics over development projects . These projects are to benefit not just Congress, but also people living in the state,” said leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Congress also alleged that all those projects in the name of Gandhi Nehru family are being scrapped or shut down.
Ruling BJP however brushed aside all allegations and hit back at the Congress for discrediting stalwarts like Ambedkar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and NT Rama Rao.
Countering the Congress, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu slammed the party for misleading the house. “Food park project was scrapped during the UPA tenure, and the land for the cancer hospital is to come from
the states. BJP has no role whatsoever in these projects,” said Naidu.
He also took on Congress for removing Vajpayee’s name from national highway and renaming the NT Rama Rao airport Hyderabad after Rajiv Gandhi. “We are not playing any politics. Congress should stop engaging in such kind of politics,” added Naidu.
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