New Delhi: When it is about the party, Nitin Nabin is “the boss”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday as the 45-year-old Bihar leader took over from J.P. Nadda as the new national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In his maiden speech as the BJP chief, Nabin termed PM Modi’s record of public service as an inspiration for him and party workers. “Our top leadership, which has contributed to the expansion of the BJP, has given an ordinary worker like me the opportunity to reach the highest position in the party, and for this, I bow to all of you,” he said.
Addressing party leaders and workers at the BJP headquarters, PM Modi also highlighted that the BJP is a party where despite serving from a Chief Minister to the Prime Minister, remains a party worker and Nitin Nabin his ‘boss’.
The PM, in his speech recounting the achievements of the previous party presidents, laid emphasis on the fact that “Nitin Nabin ji is the president for all of us. His responsibility is not only to manage the BJP but also to coordinate with the NDA”.
Nabin, Modi said, is known for his “simplicity and humility”.
Being a millennial, he said, Nabin belongs to a generation that has witnessed a great deal of change in India. “He belongs to an era which, in childhood, heard the news on the radio and today is well-versed in using AI.”
“It’s a culture, a family. Here, relationships matter more than mere membership. The BJP operates through a well-defined process. Holding a position is a system, but the responsibility of the work is a lifelong commitment,” he said to reiterate that the BJP is “more than just a party”.
“Our presidents change, but our ideals remain constant. Leadership changes, but the direction remains the same. The BJP’s form is national, its spirit is national, because our connection is local. Our roots run deep into the ground.”
“The BJP is a party where people might think that Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the country, that he has become Prime Minister for the third time, that he became Chief Minister at the young age of 50, and that he has been the head of government continuously for 25 years—all of that is true.
“But the most important thing for me is that I am a BJP worker. Our leadership is guided by tradition, enriched by experience, and moves the organisation forward with a spirit of public service and national service,” he said.
“When it is about the party, Nitin Nabin is the boss, and I am a party worker.”
Infiltrators are the biggest threat to the country and should be sent back, the PM said.
“Nobody in this world accepts infiltrators in their country. India will never allow infiltrators to loot its people and the services that belong to the poor. Infiltrators are the biggest threat to the country and they should be sent back. Political parties that are trying to protect infiltrators must be exposed,” he said.
Nabin, meanwhile, launched a sharp attack on the Opposition parties while setting the tone for the party’s campaign for the upcoming polls.
He referred to the recent events in Tamil Nadu where he said attempts were allegedly made to stop the sacred Karthigai Deepam festival. Whenever Somnath, Ram Setu or other symbols of India’s cultural legacy are mentioned, he said, opposition leaders become uncomfortable.
“Those who deny the existence of Ram Setu should have no place in Indian politics; we must strive to ensure this,” he said.
“In the next few months elections will be held in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry and West Bengal. There is a lot of discussion on the demography (population dynamics). How in a changed demography things are being altered and there it is a challenge for us. But we are fully confident that BJP workers, through their hard work and determination, will ensure the party’s success in all five states,” he said.
The BJP is in power in Assam and is part of the ruling alliance with the All India NR Congress (AINRC) in Puducherry.
Nabin said recently opposition parties tried to stop the sacred Karthigai Deepam festival in Tamil Nadu.
“This isn’t the only instance; the opposition has conspired to stop other things as well. We recently saw how an attempt was made to impeach a judge. Today, when we talk about Somnath and try to celebrate this festival of pride, the people in the opposition parties feel uneasy. We believe that it is necessary to confront the forces that try to stop such traditions. We must ensure that those who deny the existence of Ram Setu and oppose the Karthigai Deepam festival have no place in Indian politics,” he added.
Emphasising that “politics is not a shortcut,” Nabin said “politics is not a 100 metres race but a marathon where one is tested for their stamina and not the speed” as he urged youth to join politics.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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