Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted the BJP cadre to set their nose to the grindstone for the next 100 days to win the confidence of voters for a third successive term. He added that it was imperative that the BJP be elected back into power as the next five years were crucial for the progress of the country.
Delivering the valedictory address at the BJP national Council meeting being held in New Delhi, Mr. Modi said that his attitude to power was like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: “I am not someone who lives for his own happiness. I am advocating for a third term for the BJP not for political gains, but for the benefit of India. My efforts are dedicated to the people of India. The dreams of Indians are my commitments.”
He added that the next five years would be crucial for India’s journey. “We have to take a big leap towards ‘Viksit Bharat’ [Developed India]. The first imperative is to ensure the return of the BJP to power in strong numbers,” he said.
‘Speaking for the voiceless’
The PM noted that completing 10 years of unblemished governance while pulling 25 crore people out of poverty were no ordinary feats. “A senior leader once told me I had done enough as PM and CM, I should rest. But I am working for ‘rashtraniti’, not ‘rajneeti’,” he said.
Mr. Modi claimed that he was the first Prime Minister to raise the issue of toilets and speak about dignity for women from the Red Fort. “We asked those who were not acknowledged by anyone, and not just that, we have also worshipped them,” he said. “We have to connect with everyone, including those who for some reason have still not connected with the BJP,” he told the nearly 12,000 or so delegates gathered in Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam.
‘No geographic divide’
He also addressed the talk of a North-South divide in party support that broke out just after the BJP swept the Hindi-speaking States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh in the recently concluded Assembly polls, was the Congress swept the southern State of Telangana. Mr. Modi, however, claimed that the BJP was the only party that was devoted to the ideals of “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat”.
Referring to the 11 days of religious rituals he observed ahead of the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he noted that it had also involved visiting various sites associated with the Ramayana, including Nasik in Maharashtra, Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh, and Srirangam, Rameshwaram, and Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu. “The affection and blessings I received from the people was unprecedented and this cannot be understood by the parameters of political pundits,” he said.
‘World knows Modi will return’
He took on naysayers with regard to his government’s foreign policy and diplomatic efforts, while belonging to an ideologically Hindutva-based party. “India’s relations with countries across the world have grown, especially with Arab countries, so much so that five Arab countries have conferred their highest civilian honour on me, as a representative of 1.4 billion Indians,” he said. Pointing to the invitations for bilateral visits he has received for dates beyond the poll cycle, he said they proved that “duniya main bhi sab jaante hain ki aayega toh Modi hi (everyone in the wider world also knows about the inevitability of Modi’s return)“.
Elaborating further on his government’s achievements, he cited the example of the newly inaugurated Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The Prime Minister said that the BJP had ended the “five-century wait of the people” with the construction of the temple. “The flag of Dharma has been hoisted in Pavagadh, Gujarat, after 500 years. After seven decades, we opened the Kartarpur Sahib Highway. After waiting for seven decades, the country has got freedom from Article 370,” he said.
“We rid the country of mega scams and terror attacks, and made efforts to improve living standards of the poor and the middle class,” Mr. Modi said.
