Jaipur, July 4 (IANS) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday demanded strict action against those who, he alleged, misled Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the progress of the Barmer Refinery project. Citing an official reply tabled in the Lok Sabha last year, Gehlot claimed that the refinery was already over 80 per cent complete as of July 15, 2024, while the Congress demitted office in December 2023.

Questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s claims, the former Chief Minister remarked: “In two and a half years, the BJP government in Rajasthan, which couldn’t even repair roads damaged by rain, what magic did it perform to build 80 per cent of the refinery in just six months?” he questioned.

In a statement issued after the Prime Minister’s remarks at the inauguration of the refinery, Gehlot referred to the Centre’s written reply to an Unstarred Question in the Lok Sabha on August 1, 2024, which stated that the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL) project had achieved 80.8 per cent overall physical progress as of July 15, 2024.

“Those who misled Prime Minister Narendra Modi should face strict action,” Gehlot said.

He noted that Rajasthan was under the Congress government until December 2023 and questioned claims suggesting that the refinery work had remained stalled.

“In the Lok Sabha on August 1, 2024, the Central Government admitted in writing that 80.8 per cent of the Barmer Refinery’s work had been completed by July 15, 2024. Until December 2023, the Congress government was in power in Rajasthan, during which this much work had been done,” Gehlot said.

Gehlot further pointed out that the Central Government had informed Parliament that the refinery’s mechanical completion was scheduled for March 2025, but the project was inaugurated much later.

“The Central Government had promised in Parliament to complete the work by March 2025, but today, a year and a quarter later, the work has been completed, meaning even in the double-engine government, the pace remained slow,” he said.

Defending the Congress government’s record, Gehlot said the refinery project continued despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The truth is that despite a devastating pandemic like COVID, lockdowns, and a severe shortage of labour, our government didn’t let the work stop for even a single day,” he said.

The former Chief Minister also said that remarks suggesting the project had come to a halt undermined the contributions of those involved in its construction. “By stating that the work had come to a halt, the Prime Minister has gravely insulted the hard work of thousands of labourers, engineers, and officials who sweated day and night,” Gehlot said.

Accusing the BJP of politicising government platforms, he added: “Turning government platforms into dens of lies out of a hunger for political credit, and misleading the country’s Prime Minister in this way to extract false statements from him, is extremely unfortunate and laughable.”

Gehlot concluded by saying, “The public is watching everything,” and tagged the PMO India.

–IANS

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