Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today asked the Centre to take "decisive action" and give Pakistan "a befitting reply" for meting out ill-treatment to Indian fishermen arrested by its marine security agency.
Modi said he had received a copy of a letter written to Prime Minister by a 12-year-old girl Bhavika, whose fisherman father died three months ago in a jail in Pakistan after being "kidnapped" by its security agency when he was out on fishing. "Pakistan was yet to hand over his body and the girl was waiting to perform last rites of her father. Bhavika wants to know how her father died. She is in search of justice. I urge the Prime Minister to bring her father's dead body back," said Modi, who is BJP's prime ministerial candidate, at a function to dedicate completed development works at the Somnath temple, about 200 km from here. "I also ask the Central government to show decisiveness with Pakistan and give that country a befitting reply for its activities against the Indian fishermen," he said.
Speaking about the development work carried out by his government in the newly formed Gir Somnath district, Modi said that the region in past was facing shortage of pure drinking water, erratic supply of electricity. "But the state government has made the arrangement by setting up canal from Narmada to provide pure drinking water to nearly 7,500 families in the district. While Rs 45 crore have been spent to change the infrastructure to provide electricity," he said.
Interestingly, for the first time Modi shared the stage with former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel who had formed Gujarat Parivartan Party before the 2012 Assembly elections to take on him. Patel is Chairman of Somnath Temple Trust, while Modi is one of its member. Earlier this month Patel stepped down as GPP president and his son Bharat has joined BJP.
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