The district authorities said the fighter plane was installed on the traffic island to help boost local recruitment to the armed forces.

A host of functions will be held in Godhra, the district headquarter of Panchmahals, during the 60th Republic Day celebrations. Modi and his ministers have been camping here for the last two days.

Ranchhod Rathod, Resident District Collector, Panchmahals, said, “Earlier, the district authorities were interested in installing the aircraft near the Panchmahals district collector's residence near the Gymkhana area. However, the traffic circle could not accommodate the jet, which is 16.72 metres long and 4.82 metres high.”

Thereafter, the district authorities shifted the aircraft near Panchmahals dairy-Vijay Circle, which lies on the outskirts of the town and has comparatively less traffic. Modi inaugurated the traffic island on Sunday.

Situated along the Delhi-Mumbai Highway, Godhra is an important railway junction with a sizeable minority population.

In 2002, the Sabarmati Express was burnt in this town, which had triggered the 2002 communal riots across the state.

Five years later, the BJP lost the Godhra seat to Congress in the 2007 Assembly polls, even as Modi was elected for the second successive term as state chief minister.

In 2002, the seat had been won by the Ahmedabad-based Bajrang Dal leader, Harish Bhatt.

The BJP refused him ticket in 2007, and the seat was wrested by Congress’ C K Raulji.

MiG-23 MF in Gujarat
Defence Public Relations Officer Wing Commander Satish Menon said, "The MiG-23 MF, which is also known as Rakshak in India, was allotted by the Jamnagar Air Force base for motivational reasons, over a year ago." Decommissioned aircrafts are allotted to state governments, educational institutions and schools by the Air Headquarters, said Wing Commander Menon. "Generally, aircrafts are allotted to the state governments to install them in educational institutions for generating interest among youngsters."