Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday delivered a significant address in Gwalior, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for investments worth a staggering Rs 2 lakh crore. During the Abhyudaya Madhya Pradesh Growth Summit, Shah offered high praise for the state's new Chief Minister, Mohan Yadav, while also reflecting on the legacy of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 101st birth anniversary.
Praise for a New Model of Development
In his speech, Amit Shah commended Chief Minister Mohan Yadav for his dynamic approach to governance. Shah stated that Yadav works with "more energy" than his predecessor, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is now the Union Minister for Agriculture. The Home Minister specifically highlighted Yadav's flagship initiative of organizing regional industrial conclaves across Madhya Pradesh.
Shah connected this strategy to a concept pioneered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat. "The concept of structured industrial conclaves was introduced by PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat through Vibrant Gujarat. Now, Mohan Yadav has made a new start," Shah explained. He emphasized that these regional investment meets are designed to ensure balanced development and economic growth across the entire state, not just in major urban centers.
Shah predicted that this model would soon be adopted by other Indian states. He argued that while the total investment figure of Rs 2 lakh crore might seem modest on a national scale, its impact on local regions and communities within Madhya Pradesh is profound and transformative.
Continuity and Acceleration of BJP's Development Agenda
The Union Minister framed the current progress within a historical context of the Bharatiya Janata Party's rule in the state. He recalled that Madhya Pradesh was once grouped among the so-called 'BIMARU' states, a term denoting economic stagnation. Shah credited former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with removing this negative tag from Madhya Pradesh during his long tenure.
"Now, Mohan Yadav is working with more energy than Chouhan. This means that Madhya Pradesh will soon become a developed state," Shah asserted, signaling confidence in the state's accelerated trajectory under the new leadership. He positioned the BJP as the singular force that set Madhya Pradesh on its current path of development.
Homage to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Legacy
The event coincided with the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Shah, paying heartfelt homage, expressed his fortune at being in Gwalior, where Vajpayee spent his early years. He lauded Vajpayee for safeguarding India's cultural heritage and awakening the national voice.
Shah outlined several key contributions of the Vajpayee government. He noted that it was under Vajpayee's leadership that a separate Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs was created, initiating a focused journey of tribal welfare. This is particularly relevant for Madhya Pradesh, which has a significant tribal population.
On infrastructure, Shah said Vajpayee dismantled the old political belief that ground-level development did not win elections. "Atal Bihari Vajpayee disposed this theory, and worked on the Golden Quadrilateral, thus taking the country forward through infrastructure development," Shah stated.
The Home Minister also highlighted Vajpayee's decisive leadership during the Kargil conflict, where he resisted international pressure for dialogue until every Pakistani intruder was pushed out, leading to India's victory. Furthermore, Shah credited Vajpayee with establishing India as a nuclear power and sending a global message about the peaceful use of atomic energy.
The summit in Gwalior, therefore, served as a dual platform: to launch a massive new wave of regional investment and to connect the state's present development drive with the foundational legacies of both a former Prime Minister and a former Chief Minister, while spotlighting the vigor of its current leader.
