Amid accusations from opposition parties about the renaming of Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Gujarat government has issued a clarification. Gujarat’s Chief Deputy Minister Nitin Patel said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s name was never associated with the stadium in question.
“This stadium is owned by the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) and it was always known as Motera Stadium. Therefore, there is no question of renaming it now. It was Narendra Modi who first came up with the idea of demolishing the old stadium and built a new one when he was president of the GCA, ”said Nitin Patel, according to a video published by the Press Information Office (PIB).
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He further said that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, opened by President Ram Nath Kovind, is part of a larger complex, called the ‘Sardar Patel Sports Complex’.
After some leaders of Congress and other opposition parties made the accusation, Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad had also said that only the Motera Stadium is named after PM Modi and the complex in which it stands. It is still called the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave. .
Speaking with Congressional leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Prasad, who addressed the media after attending a cabinet meeting, said the two leaders had never praised or visited the statue of Sardar Patel, the most high of the world, in Kevadia of Gujarat, PTI news agency. reported.
“I want to say this with full responsibility that a tourist spot that receives global accolades has yet to be visited or praised by the two leaders of Congress. What else is there to say?” he said.
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Javadekar, in his clarification, said that those who attached great importance to the problem never respected Sardar Patel. “The name of the Sports Complex is Sardar Patel Sports Enclave. Only the name of the cricket stadium, within the complex, bears the name of Narendra Modi. Ironically, ‘The Family’, who never respected Sardar Patel, even after his death , is now making noise and crying, “he tweeted.
Earlier, Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted: “Maybe they just realized that the stadium is named after an Interior Minister who had banned its parent organization! Or maybe this is an early booking to guarantee that the next visiting Head of State is staying here, like Trump? ” Or is this the start of a labeling (sic) legacy creation spree? “
Rajeev Satav, another congressional leader, said the name change was “a clear sign of autocratic dictatorship.” “To change the name of the Biker cricket stadium from Sardar Patel to Narendra Modi is an absolute disgrace. This shows how narcissistic our prime minister has become. This is outrageous and a clear sign of autocratic dictatorship,” he said.
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