"Congress used power only to loot budgets, hide their scams": PM Modi

Dwarka (Gujarat) [India], February 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress on Sunday, saying that during its tenure, the budget for infrastructure was looted through scams, and he said that Congress used power to conceal these scams.
While addressing a public rally in Gujarat's Dwarka, PM Modi said that Congress's intention to provide facilities to the common people was "maligned.".
"Those who ruled the country for a long time did not have the willpower. Their intention to provide facilities to the common people was maligned. All of Congress' power was used to make only one family prosperous. How would they have remembered to do something for the country? All of their power was used in thinking about how to make the government last for 5 years, and how to hide the scams," the PM said.
The remark by PM Modi was made after he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 4150 crore in Gujarat's Dwarka on Sunday.
He further said that the Congress could make India only the 11th largest economy in the 10 years before 2014 as they used their full strength to hide their corruption.
"They used their full strength to hide their corruption. That's why they could make India only the 11th largest economy in the world in their 10 years. The budget, which used to be for infrastructure, was looted through scams. Congress did the 2G scam, a Commonwealth scam, a helicopter scam, and a submarine scam. Congress has only betrayed every need of the country," the PM added.
Coming down heavily on the opposition, the PM said that they are witnessing the formation of the New India, which idea was 'ridiculed' by them.
"When I gave the guarantee of the making of the New India, the opposition, which is fond of abusing me, ridiculed that. Today, everyone is watching the formation of the New India in front of their eyes," he added.
The PM inaugurated Sudarshan Setu, which is the country's longest cable-stayed bridge, spanning around 2.32 km, connecting the Okha mainland and Beyt Dwarka in Gujarat, on Sunday morning and said that the bridge is an "engineering marvel."
"When I was the CM, the locals used to speak to me about a bridge. The Congress government never paid attention to this. The construction of the Sudarshan Setu was written in my fate by Lord Krishna... The electricity for the lights on the Sudarshan Bridge will come from the Solar panels installed on the bridge. Sudarshan Setu is not just a facility, it is also an engineering marvel. Students of structural engineering should come and study the Sudarshan Setu. It is India's longest cable bridge," PM Modi asserted.
The bridge, previously known as the 'Signature Bridge', has been renamed 'Sudarshan Setu' or Sudarshan Bridge.
Beyt Dwarka is an island near Okha port, approximately 30 km from Dwarka town, where the famous Dwarkadhish temple of Lord Krishna is situated.
'Sudarshan Setu' is India's longest cable-stayed bridge, linking the Okha mainland and the Beyt Dwarka island in Gujarat.
The PM also said that the moments he spent in the deep sea performing the Pooja of Lord Krishna will stay with him forever.
"Today, I experienced those moments with will stay with me forever... I went deep in the sea and did 'Darshan' of the ancient Dwarka city. Archaeologists have written a lot about the Dwarka city hidden underwater. In our scriptures also, it is said about Dwarka that it was a city with beautiful gates and tall buildings, as tall as the top of the world. Lord Krishna himself constructed this city... When I went deep in the sea, I experienced the divinity... I bowed down in front of Dwarkadhish. I took a peacock feather with me and placed it at Lord Krishna's feet. I had always been curious to go there and touch the remains of the ancient Dwarka city. I am full of emotions today... A decades-old dream was completed today..." the PM said.
PM Modi also dived into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Gujarat to perform an underwater puja in the remains of the ancient submerged city of Lord Krishna's Dwarka.
In the photos shared by the PM on his X handle, he can be seen in scuba gear and descending into the azure waters to offer prayers at the site steeped in historical and spiritual significance.
PM Modi also paid homage to the ancient city, making an offering of peacock feathers--a symbolic tribute to Lord Krishna who founded the ancient city.
"I thank Ahir Mother for their blessings. A video went viral a few days ago that 37,000 Ahir women did garba together...People me how was this happening in sync. I told them that 37,000 women doing Garba is nothing, the bigger fact is that there is at least a total of 25,000 kg of gold is there on all of them combined... I bow down in front of Dwarka Dham, the workplace of Lord Krishna... Everything here happens with the will of Lord Krishna only..." the PM added.