Threaten to launch agitation
Shimla: AICC Secretary and co-incharge of Himachal Pradesh, Sanjay Dutt has threatened to launch an agitation if the foundation stone plaque of the Atal Tunnel Rohtang laid by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is not restored.
The foundation stone plaque was laid by Sonia Gandhi on 28 June 2010.
Earlier the state government, consequent to the protest of the Congress party had given assurance of restoring the foundation plaque, however the same has not been done so far.
Dutt said, ” During my recent visit to the district I came across displeasure among the common people for the removal of this plaque and there is also great anger and resentment among the Congress workers.”
Sharing a picture of the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Atal Tunnel Rohtang, Dutt claimed that the tunnel was a gift of the then Congress-led UPA government. And added that the stone was laid in the presence of the then Union Steel Minister and former six-time Chief Minister of the state, Virbhadra Singh at the south end of Manali.
He said that the tradition started by the BJP Central and State Government to tamper with history is condemnable.
“BJP has shown petty politics by removing the foundation plaque ahead of the inauguration of this tunnel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2021, last year, ” he said, adding that in a democracy the governments of any political party come and go, however such handy work or any kind of tampering is a grave insult to democracy, which can never be tolerated at any cost.
Congress will not tolerate the insult of its leaders, he warned.
The Rohtang tunnel is the gift of the previous UPA government and the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had allotted the entire budget for the construction of the same, said Dutt, adding that the BJP has no contribution in the construction of Rohtang Tunnel, except for the inauguration and naming of the tunnel in the name of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpai, to which although Congress has no objection.
“Our only objection is against the removal of the foundation stone, which should be installed at the same place soon,” said Dutt.
