Jaipur: Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly making “politically motivated” remarks during the inauguration of Rajasthan’s first petrochemical refinery. Gehlot claimed that Modi falsely credited the completion of the Pachpadra refinery to the current BJP govt, overlooking significant contributions made by the previous Congress administration.In a post on ‘X’, Gehlot described Modi’s behaviour as “very unfortunate,” stating that the PM acted more like a BJP member than the leader of the nation during a govt programme. He took issue with Modi’s assertion that progress on the refinery stalled during the Congress-led govt from 2018 to 2023, insisting that much of the work was completed during that time.“You should have asked the people associated with the refinery work. They would have told you that even in a difficult situation like Covid during the previous Congress govt, work here did not stop and 85% of the refinery was completed between 2018 and 2023,” Gehlot said, describing the PM’s remarks as “laughable .” He further pointed out that the BJP govt itself announced in its budget that the refinery would be completed by Aug 2025, yet it was commissioned nearly a year later.Additionally, Gehlot targeted Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, alleging he made factually incorrect statements regarding the refinery’s foundation. Gehlot asserted that the foundation stone was laid in 2013 by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and then Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily, contradicting Sharma’s claim that Modi laid the foundation in 2018.He claimed the refinery work was stalled for five years under the previous BJP govt, causing the estimated cost to rise from Rs 37,000 crore to around Rs 80,000 crore. Gehlot highlighted the difficulties faced in convincing Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltdto set up the refinery, noting that the Congress govt took a 26% equity stake in the project to ensure HPCL’s participation, leading to the establishment of HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd.Calling the refinery’s commissioning a “historic day” for Rajasthan, Gehlot expressed satisfaction that the project, initiated during the Congress govt, finally became operational. He urged the CM to consult official records before making public statements about the history of the refinery.
