Gujarat Assembly elections | Congress promises to restore name of Narendra Modi stadium at Motera

The Congress also said it would revoke the remission granted by the State government to 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case

The opposition Congress on Saturday said it would restore the name of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera area of Ahmedabad as Sardar Patel Stadium if voted to power in upcoming Gujarat elections.

In its poll manifesto, the Congress also said it would revoke the remission granted by the State government to 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case allowing their premature release from jail. The 11 men convicted in the case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15.

The manifesto was released by Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress’ senior observer for Gujarat polls Ashok Gehlot at Ahmedabad at the party headquarters.

“Today, some activists from Karamsad town (the native place of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel), gave us a memorandum demanding that the stadium be renamed Sardar Patel Stadium which was its original name. We promise the stadium will be renamed as Sardar Patel Stadium in the first Cabinet meeting of our government,” said Congress manifesto committee chairman Dipak Babaria.

Talking to reporters, senior Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry said Sardar Patel’s stature was much bigger than Prime Minister Modi and the latter should be ashamed of renaming the stadium after himself.

“PM Modi changed the name of the stadium because he wants to put himself on par with Sardar Patel. Though the prime minister compares himself with Patel, he stands nowhere in comparison to Sardar Patel. We will change the name of the stadium in the first Cabinet meeting,” Mr. Mistry added.