Jaipur, April 22 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma appeared in an assertive mood on Wednesday as he delivered his first major public response following the fire at the Pachpadra refinery.​

Speaking at the unveiling of Lieutenant General Sagat Singh Rathore’s statue and the inauguration of a war memorial in Churu, Sharma sharply criticised the Congress party, accusing it of politicising the incident.​

He said the opposition’s reaction to the accident, just when the refinery was nearing inauguration, reflected “frustration” rather than concern.​

Responding to questions raised by Congress leaders, Sharma said the refinery’s inauguration had been imminent but was postponed due to the fire.​

He remarked that attempting to politicise such an incident is extremely unfortunate.​

He further alleged that the previous Congress government had delayed the project for years, adding that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who revived it in 2018 and accelerated its progress.​

The Chief Minister also targeted former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, accusing his government of irregularities linked to the refinery project.​

Sharma claimed that the public is aware of alleged scams and controversial land deals during that period.​

He asserted that the public is well aware of the truth about the various scams perpetrated in the name of the refinery and the dubious land deals executed during the Gehlot government’s tenure.​

The Chief Minister further remarked that it has become a habit of the Congress party to raise the banner of opposition whenever matters of national interest or major development projects are at stake.​

He said that the delay in the refinery project is the most glaring example of this.​

He added that the Congress party has a pattern of opposing major development projects and issues of national importance.​

In a social media post, Sharma wrote that Congress had “sacrificed Rajasthan’s development to corruption and scams”, calling the refinery delay a prime example.​

Despite the setback, Sharma reassured the public that restoration work is progressing quickly.​

He said the refinery would be operational again within days and described it as one of the country’s largest and most modern facilities, expected to significantly boost Rajasthan’s economy.​

Continuing his criticism, Sharma took a swipe at Congress’s election symbol, the “Hand”, alleging that its ideology has hindered national progress and delayed key projects.

–IANS

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