Olympics will be held in Gujarat when state completes 75 years: Modi

When India hosts the Olympic, it will be in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a massive roadshow in Gandhinagar on Tuesday (May 27), capping off his fourth roadshow during a two-day visit to Gujarat, his home state.

“Gujarat, jiske paas ek zamane me namak ke alawa kuch nahi tha, aaj sare duniya me hira ke liye jana jata hai (Gujarat, a state that had only salt at one point in time, is now known in the world for its diamonds),” said Modi.

Olympic dreams

“When Gujarat completes 75 years, the Olympics will be held here in our soil. The country wishes that the Olympics be hosted in India, and Gujarat should be by then a leader in industry, agriculture, education, and sports,” he said, hailing Gujarat as the “land of the brave”.

Gujarat was formed in 1960 by splitting the erstwhile Bombay state along linguistic lines. Hence, it will complete 75 years in 2035, and India has been making a strong pitch for hosting the Olympics in 2036.

Also read: PM Modi slams 1947 Kashmir policy, flays Cong for ignoring Sardar Patel's advice

No black clothes

Tuesday’s road show started at Raj Bhawan and ended at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, with Modi inaugurating projects worth Rs 5,539 crore in an event marking 20 years of Gujarat’s Urban Growth Story and launch of Urban Development Year – 2025 at Mahatma Mandir.

The rally marked a first in Gujarat: entry to the roadshow venues were allowed only to those carrying a QR code generated by the Gujarat Police a week prior to the event. Plus, anyone wearing a black outfit was denied entry to the event to prevent any mark of protest against the prime minister.

“This digital verification system is part of enhanced security protocols and the dress code is to ensure any protest doesn’t hamper the Prime Minister’s security details,” said a senior police official of Gandhinagar who was part of the security planning team for the event.

QR code for attendees

Local government staff, teachers and students from government schools in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Kheda, and Vadodara, who were made to travel to Gandhinagar for the road show, had to submit their personal details with Aadhaar card to get the QR code.

“We were told it is mandatory to attend the PM’s programme. It is not new for us. Every time there is a big event, we travel to attend it. The problem is that every time we have to make our own arrangement to return home,” cribbed a teacher from a primary school in Ahmedabad who attended the road show.

“This time, however, each one of us received a QR code in our mobile phones after we submitted the details of attendees from our school,” she added.

Also read: All-party delegations highlight India’s new approach to combat cross-border terrorism

A pitch for Hindi

Modi began his speech, dramatically seeking permission from the crowd for making it in Hindi.

“Today, I will speak in Hindi so that all our brother and sisters across the country can understand what I am about to say. To maro Gujarati bhai ane ben, badha ne Hindi chale? Chale? Saru. (So, my Gujarati brothers and sisters, all of you can work with Hindi? Yes? Ok),” Modi said to loud cheers from the crowd.

Invoking Sardar Patel

In his speech, Modi invoked Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and claimed that terror activities against India would have never happened if his advice had been accepted after the country’s partition in 1947.

“In 1947, our Mother India was torn into pieces. Her chains should have been cut, but her arms were chopped off instead. The night our country was divided into three parts, the first terrorist attack took place on the soil of our Kashmir. Pakistan captured a part of Mother India with the help of terrorists, with the help of Mujahideen. If these Mujahideen had been killed on that day, as Sardar Patel had suggested, our country would not have seen a series of terror activities for the past 75 years,” Modi said.

“The Pahalgam incident would not have happened if the Congress had followed Sardar Patel’s suggestion of dealing with the Mujahideen fighters who had invaded Kashmir to occupy it for Pakistan. There would be no terrorism against our country right now,” he went on.

Also read: Mann ki Baat: PM Modi hails Op Sindoor, terms it reflection of changing India

Pakistan and proxy war

In a word of praise for the armed forces, Modi said “whenever the need for a war with Pakistan has arisen, our military has defeated Pakistan—in all the three wars”. But now, Pakistan has understood that it cannot defeat India in a direct war, so it has started a proxy war against India, he added.

“We have tolerated these attacks for long, but no more. But we will no longer call it a ‘proxy war’ and that is why nine terrorist hideouts were identified and destroyed within just 22 minutes. It was a decisive action and with proof,” said Modi, referring to Operation Sindoor.

‘They are already sweating’

Speaking about the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, Modi said it was decided that the dams on the rivers of Jammu and Kashmir wouldn’t be desilted. “The gates didn’t open for 60 years. I have not done much yet; I have just put it on hold, but they [Pakistan] are already sweating,” Modi claimed.

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, governs the distribution and use of the waters of the Indus River system, including its tributaries in the Kashmir region. The treaty assigns the right to use the waters of the three eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, to India and the three western rivers, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, to Pakistan.