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Union minister of state (MoS) for food processing industries Prahlad Singh Patel spoke about the importance of the ₹850 crore project and the development that it is expected to bring to Madhya Pradesh.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the multi-crore ‘Mahakal Lok’ corridor, a redevelopment project of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, The New Indian Executive Editor Rohan Dua, who was returning to Delhi after covering the mega event, caught up with Union minister of state (MoS) for food processing industries Prahlad Singh Patel at the Indore airport on Wednesday morning.
The senior BJP leader, who represents the Damoh constituency in Lok Sabha, spoke about the importance of the ₹850 crore project and the development that it is expected to bring to Madhya Pradesh. Edited excerpts:
Rohan Dua: After the Mahakal event, how proud do you feel about the moment?
Prahlad Singh Patel: It was a historic day. The things that should have been done years ago have been finally done by this government. It (the re-development of Hindu religious sites) began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the Kedarnath temple last year. This place (Ujjain) is the centre of Sanatan traditions and values and hosts the Kumbh fair. The heritage of this Sanatani tradition can be seen all over Madhya Pradesh.
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Tuesday’s event was the confluence of spiritualism and politics.
Domestic and international tourists will see the change in Ujjain when they arrive here to offer prayers to Lord Shiva.
Rohan Dua: When you were in the tourism department as cultural president, ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) had taken very relevant steps including explorations of the Ram Setu (near Rameswaram).
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Prahlad Singh Patel: After Prime Minister Modi came to power, he started two schemes – PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive) and Swadesh Darshan. No political party in the past gave due importance to religious monuments. The PRASAD scheme was for addressing this concern… Such was PM Modi’s vision from the very beginning. But the common man was not fully aware of these schemes. Whether it is the Sikh community in Punjab, a church in Kerala, or the Omkareshwar temple – all have been part of the PRASAD scheme.
