Raipur:

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader TS Singh Deo’s glowing words for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event where both were present is being seen with intrigue.

PM Modi on Thursday had laid the foundation stone of “critical care blocks” in nine districts of Chhattisgarh and distributed 1 lakh sickle cell counselling cards on Thursday. He also announced several other major projects.

At one of the events, Mr Deo welcomed PM Modi and in his address to the audience, said, “You came here to give something. You have given a lot of things to Chhattisgarh, and I trust that in future also you will keep providing us with more.”

The Congress leader thanked PM Modi for all the projects he announced.

“We have worked under the guidance of the centre and I do not want to miss out on saying that, in my experience, I did not feel any partiality… In the state, when we asked for something from the centre, they never denied aid. I believe the state and centre will work together to take the country and state forward,” Mr Deo said.

PM Modi later shook hands with the Congress leader.

In his address, PM Modi said Chhattisgarh is taking a significant step towards development as railway projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore are being unveiled. “Chhattisgarh is a powerhouse of development of the country,” PM Modi said as he noted a country will move forward only if its powerhouses are working at full strength.

He said huge schemes are being implemented in Chhattisgarh in every field by the central government and the foundation stones of new projects are being laid. PM Modi also recalled visiting Raipur in July to lay the foundation stone of Visakhapatnam to Raipur Economic Corridor and Raipur to Dhanbad Economic Corridor development projects.