Urban Naxals trying to enter Gujarat, warns PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday heaped praise on the tribal communities of Gujarat while also cautioning them against the "Urban Naxals who are trying to enter the state" by changing their appearance. The Prime Minister said that the Urban Naxals are "luring the youth" and asked the people to "warn their children" against their "initiative to destroy the country".

PM Modi's remarks came while laying the foundation stone and dedicating to the nation multiple projects worth over Rs 8,000 crore at Amod, Bharuch on Monday. "These Naxalite-minded people first tried their best to stop Sardar Sarovar Dam, and now these Urban Naxals are trying to enter with a new look. They have changed costumes, luring energetic youth," PM Modi said while addressing the occasion, taking a veiled jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party which is also in the fray in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

"Naxalism started in Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, some parts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra, Telangana and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. Naxalism destroyed the lives of our tribal youth. Guns were put in their hands, provoking them to play the game of death. I do not want to allow Naxalism to enter Gujarat, I have to save my tribal brothers and sisters, I should not let this type of disease enter their lives, so, from Umargam, I did development till Ambaji," he added. Stating that Naxalism could not enter Gujarat due to the state's tribals, PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the community, while also adding that the Urban Naxals are "setting foot from above".

"I have to say with satisfaction that my words were accepted by the tribal brothers and sisters. The result was that Naxalism could not enter Gujarat through that route. For that, I express my gratitude to my tribal brothers and sisters. But now Urban Naxals are setting foot from above," he said. Putting the charge that the Urban Naxals have taken the initiative to "destroy the country", PM Modi said they are the "agents of foreign forces".

"We should warn our children that Urban Naxals have taken the initiative to destroy the country. They have come as agents of foreign forces. Gujarat will never bow down in front of them," the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister also recalled the time when some miscreants obstructed the path of development in Bharuch. He said, "When we came to power in 2014 and Gujarat felt the double-engine power of Narendra and Bhupendra, all obstructions were uprooted." The Prime Minister pointed out the obstructions created by Urban Naxals during the development of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Earlier in the day, he laid the foundation stone of the Bulk Drug Park at Jambusar, the Deep Sea Pipeline Project at Dahej, Phase 1 of Ankleshwar Airport and the development of Multilevel Industrial Sheds at Ankleshwar and Panoli. The Prime Minister also dedicated several projects which will give a boost to the chemicals sector in Gujarat including GACL Plant, Bharuch Underground Drainage and IOCL Dahej Koyali Pipeline.

The Prime Minister paid tributes to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav who passed away on Monday. "My relationship with Mulayam Singhji has been very special. As Chief Ministers, when we used to meet, there was a feeling of mutual regard and closeness," he said.

Recalling that he had reached to leaders of political parties as BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, PM Modi said that Mulayam Singh Yadav's words of blessings and advice are still very important to him.