New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday identified “corruption, dynasty and appeasement politics” as three problems confronting India and exhorted people to rise against them — virtually launching his campaign for 2024 General Election from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Modi, who was speaking on the 77th Independence Day, said people have decided that if they want to take the country forward, “a strong, stable and full-majority government is needed”. He was seemingly making a veiled reference to possible instability in the 26-party opposition grouping Indian National Developmental Alliance, or INDIA.
Dressed in an off-white churidaar-kurta, a black jacket, and donning a yellow-coloured Rajasthani bandhej safa on his head, the prime minister said in his nearly 90-minute speech that he would present his government’s achievements from the Red Fort next year, too — a remark that signals his confidence of winning the 2024 election.
This is the prime minister’s last independence day speech before next year’s election.
“How can a political party have only one family in charge? For them their life mantra is —party of the family, by the family and for the family,” said the Prime Minister who has been singling out the Congress and the Gandhi family for criticism in his speeches. Nepotism, he said, “is the enemy of talent, of capabilities, of potentials”.
“It eats up the country like a termite. Its end can only ensure a strengthened democracy. Appeasement is the foe of social justice, of development. Let’s resolve to fight these. Let’s resolve to free India from these,” he said.
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‘Bomb blasts, a thing of the past’
Seeking the “blessings of the people”, Modi outlined the achievements of his government and highlighted how it had put India’s security first. India’s borders, he claimed, were “safe and secure, (and) bomb blasts a thing of the past”.
He claimed that all his efforts were meant only to ease people’s pain and suffering.
“I am one of you. I have come from amid you. Whatever I dream is for you. Even if I sweat, I sweat for you… I work for you not because you gave me this responsibility,” he said. “I do it because you are my family members and I can’t see your suffering, your dreams crashing”.
The next five years, he claimed, will be for “unprecedented development”.
“The biggest golden moment to realise the dream of 2047 is the next five years,” he claimed. “The next time, on August 15, I will present before you the achievements and developments of the country from this Red Fort”.
‘People decided they need a strong govt’
Throughout his speech, the prime minister tried to strike a chord with the people, referring to them as parivaarjan or his “family members”.
The people of the country, he claimed, had picked a “a stable, forward-looking government in 2014 after a very long time”.
“All our decisions are taken with only one ideal in mind — nation first,” he claimed. “There was a period of uncertainty and instability for three decades, we got freedom from it. Country has such a government that believes in the welfare of all and happiness of all”.
People, the prime minister claimed, gave his government a strong mandate in 2014 and 2019, which gave “Modi got the courage to reform”.
“The power of ‘reform, perform, and transform’ is visible now,” he claimed. “Through this, the foundation for the coming thousand years is being strengthened”.
Modi also made a strong pitch to be elected by a majority in next year’s election.
“After 30 years of experience, the countrymen have decided that if they want to take the country forward we need a strong, stable and full majority government,” he said. “Today we have demography, today we have democracy, today we have diversity. This triveni (trinity) has the ability to make every dream of India come true. Today, countries in the whole world are getting old… and India has the highest population below the age of 30”.
He sought the blessings of the people, saying: “There are many dreams. The resolution is clear. The policies are clear. There is no question about our intentions. But we have to accept some truths and to solve them, my dear family members, I have come to the Red Fort today to seek your help. I have come from the Red Fort to seek your blessings”.
Modi also highlighted how India’s economy has been strengthened under his Bharatiya Janata Party government, calling this an example of “Modi’s guarantee”.
“When we came to power in 2014, we were at the 10th position in the global economic system. Today, with the efforts of 140 crore Indians, we have reached the fifth position. This did not happen just like that. The demon of corruption that had the country in its clutches — we stopped leakages and created a strong economy,” he claimed, adding that India will be “in the top three economies” in the coming years.
The prime minister said he was confident that by 2047 — when India will celebrate 100 years of its independence — India will be a developed country.
“I say this on the basis of our country’s capability and available resources…but the need of the hour is to fight against three evils — corruption, dynasty and appeasement,” he said.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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