Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called off his hunger strike on Monday evening following the Supreme Court decision not to grant a stay on raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam.
Modi had resorted to hunger strike on Sunday at the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation ground, protesting the recommendation of Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz to suspend work on the project until rehabilitation of those displace by the dam was done in a satisfactory manner.
The Gujarat chief minister thanked all political parties, which supported the government on the issue of increasing the height of the dam and for opposing the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
"I thank all the political parties whether it is the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party or other organizations that extended their support on the Narmada dam issue in the national interest," he added.
Modi thanked Soz for creating a situation which led to this fast. "This has become a yagna for me and I came to realize that people of Gujarat expect a lot from me. I will have to make myself competent to match their expectations," he said.
He also 'thanked' some section of media for helping him stay in news by targetting him in a 'negative' way.
Training his guns at the Centre, he said for the first time in the history of Narmada dam's fight, the Central government's stand on the issue has helped the NBA to build a set of documents, which were against the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
Advocates of NBA used this documents in the courts on Monday in their argument, he added.
"I am very worried about these developments as they can lead to problems in future. The state will have to be alert to fight against any attempt in future to stall the work of the dam," Modi said.
He alleged that leaders sitting in New Delhi are playing 'dirty' politics by coming in the way of development of states. He said the state had passed a law on labour reforms a year ago, but the file is still pending with the Centre.
He further alleged that Centre had, without any notice to Gujarat, cut the electricity supply of 200 Mega Watt to the state and transferred it to Maharashtra just 10 days ago.
The chief minister said Gujarat will not tolerate injustice. "Ours is a federal democracy and problems can be created in future if discriminations continue. I am firm believer in Indian Constitution and I will try to find solution by ways to talks. But those sitting in New Delhi should understand the results of such steps," he added.
