New Delhi: Exhorting the BJP karyakartas to be in mission mode for the next 100 days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked the party cadre to reach out to the masses, highlighting that the third term of the BJP-led NDA in power will further benefit the middle class, youth, farmers, women and the poor. He also told the BJP cadres that the party has to “win everyone’s trust” to realise the aim of "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.
In his valedictory address at the national council meeting of the party, ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA’s “star campaigner”, Mr Modi, who often describes himself as the “pradhan sevak”, asked the BJP leaders to convey his “pranaam" (greeting) to each and every beneficiary of the Central government schemes and reach out to every youth who turns 18, saying they will play a crucial role in electing the 18th Lok Sabha.
Mr Modi has already declared the party’s target of winning 370 seats, which he said will be a tribute to BJP ideologue Syama Prasad Mookherjee and “400 paar” for the NDA in the impending general election.
The Prime Minister asserted that in its third term, the BJP-led NDA is determined to position India as the world’s third-largest economic power, up from the current fifth position.
Slamming the Opposition, particularly the Congress, Mr Modi said it lacked the courage to take on the BJP ideologically or on the basis of principles. He accused the Opposition parties of trying to break the country over language and regional issues, as they have no “development agenda or roadmap for the future”.
The national council passed a resolution on Ram Mandir while noting that the values that Lord Ram instilled in his words and thoughts are the inspiration for "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" and the basis of "Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas".
Noting that the temple where a grand consecration ceremony (led by Mr Modi) took place last month has become a temple of "national consciousness" and will play a decisive role in fulfilling the resolutions adopted in building a "Viksit Bharat’', the BJP national convention thanked the Prime Minister for the Ram Mandir.
Also, BJP president J.P. Nadda’s second term till 2024 was ratified during the meet. The BJP parliamentary board, the party’s highest decision-making body, took a decision last year to extend Mr Nadda’s term till June 2024. It is customary for the national council to ratify such decisions.
Addressing nearly 11,500 BJP delegates from across the country at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, the Prime Minister said, “In the last 10 years, India has achieved unprecedented momentum and gained the courage to achieve significant goals. India has reached new heights in every sector today, connecting every citizen with a sense of great determination. And this determination is for a developed India. We must make India a developed nation and for this, the next five years will play a significant role. In the next five years, India must work at a much faster pace than before.”
Guiding the BJP cadre on how to prepare to ensure a third term for the BJP-led government, Mr Modi asserted that the BJP is the only political party that is dedicated to "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat" amidst political debate on "North vs South". He mentioned how during his visits to different regions of the country, also including the South, during his 11-day ritual ahead of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, he received “affection and blessings” that he cannot express and are “beyond the parameters of political pundits”.
Asserting that the BJP-led government is for everyone, Mr Modi mentioned how his government’s initiatives for the Sikh community, including the Kartarpur corridor and how after the Modi government’s decision to mark December 26 as "Veer Bal Diwas" in the memory of "Chaar Sahibzaade", “even children as far as Kerala and Nagaland now know about the valour of the Sahibzades”.
Mr Modi’s remarks came at a time when a section of farmers from Punjab have been protesting to demand legal status for the minimum support price, among other issues.
A considerable part of Mr Modi’s nearly 65-minute speech was about the poor, youth, women and farmers, the ruling BJP’s support base, along with beneficiaries of the Central government schemes.
Addressing the BJP leaders, Mr Modi said the “nation will now have to dream big and make big resolutions to make India a developed country by 2047”.
"The next five years are going to be crucial. We have to take a big leap towards Viksit Bharat. The first imperative is to ensure the return of the BJP to power in strong numbers," the Prime Minister said.
Slamming the Congress, Mr Modi said, "The Congress is demoralised... Therefore, abusing Modi and levelling false allegations against me have become the single-point agenda of its leaders.”
The Prime Minister said that even Opposition leaders are now raising slogans in favour of more than 400 Lok Sabha seats for the NDA. “But, for the NDA to cross 400 seats, the BJP will have to cross the milestone of 370,” Mr Modi said.
Confident of the BJP-led NDA scoring a hattrick, Mr Modi said every country across the world is now keen to forge a deeper relationship with India.
“Elections are yet to take place, but I already have invitations from different countries for July, August and September. This means that several countries across the world are also completely confident about the return of the BJP government,” said the PM.
Mr Modi said that every country across the world knows "aayega toh..." as the gathering shouted "...Modi hi. Aayega toh Modi hi."
“We rid the country of mega scams and terror attacks and made efforts to improve the living standards of the poor and the middle class," he said.
Maintaining that he is seeking a third term not to enjoy power but to work for the nation, Mr Modi said, "If I had thought of my home, it would not have been possible to build homes for crores of people.”
He said 10 years of unblemished governance and pulling 25 crore people out of poverty were no ordinary feats.
"A senior leader once told me I had done enough as the PM and the CM; I should rest now. I am working for 'rashtraniti', not 'rajneeti'," he said.
The Prime Minister said he lives by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and takes inspiration from him.
"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," Mr Modi said.
He said he is the first Prime Minister to raise the issue of toilets and speak about dignity for women from the ramparts of Red Fort.
"The BJP is bringing together the power of the youth, women and farmers to build a Viksit Bharat," Mr Modi said, adding, "We asked those who were not acknowledged by anyone, and not just that, we have also worshipped them."
Talking about the women empowerment initiatives of the BJP government during the last 10 years, the Prime Minister said, "In the times to come, there will be plenty of opportunities for "our mothers, sisters and daughters."
He said Mission Shakti will create a complete ecosystem for the protection and empowerment of women in the country and added that 15,000 women self-help groups will get drones.
"Now, 'Drone Didi' will bring scientific temperament and modernity to farming. Now, 3-crore women in the country will be made 'Lakhpati Didis'," the Prime Minister said.
On Ram Mandir, Mr Modi said that the BJP ended the five-century wait and constructed the temple in Ayodhya.
"The religious flag 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," the Prime Minister said.
He said the spirit of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" is visible in governance.
"The Northeast was completely ignored by earlier governments. But we do not work for votes and seats. For us, every corner of the country should be prosperous and developed; this is our belief," Mr Modi said, adding that his Council of Ministers had a record representation of leaders from the Northeast.
"For the first time, a woman has become a member of the Rajya Sabha from Nagaland. We are proud that for the first time, we have given a place to a person from Tripura in the Council of Ministers," he said, pointing out that for the first time, Arunachal Pradesh has got a Cabinet minister.
"Our government is for everyone. 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is reflected in our work ethics," the Prime Minister said.
Taking aim at critics who wondered if he would be able to handle foreign policy, Mr Modi said India's ties with West Asia are strongest now and noted that he was the first Prime Minister in a few decades to visit the UAE.
"The Congress government used to look at West Asia but through the prism of Pakistan," he said.
Slamming the Congress, Mr Modi said the Opposition party is riven by internal divisions, not due to ideological differences but over its stand on him, as one section believes in tarnishing his image by all means, including personal attacks, while another wants to avoid this approach.
Earlier, the national council passed a resolution on the Ram temple in Ayodhya, asserting that this heralds the establishment of "Ram Rajya" in India for the next 1,000 years.
The resolution noted that the temple where a grand consecration ceremony took place last month has become a temple of "national consciousness" and will play a decisive role in fulfilling the resolutions adopted in building a "Viksit Bharat".
"The construction of a grand and divine temple of Lord Shri Ram at his birthplace in the ancient holy city of Ayodhya is a historic and glorious achievement for the country. This heralds the establishment of 'Ram Rajya' in India for the next 1,000 years with the beginning of a new 'Kalachakra'," the resolution said.
The national council resolution also lauded Mr Modi’s leadership. "Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, India's unity and solidarity have received the power of public participation. He has raised the morale of the nation with his policies and leadership. Indian cultural, spiritual and historical pride has been restored in the last 10 years," it said.
"This convention congratulates Prime Minister Modi for making the shared power of heritage and development the identity of the new India through his determined efforts and thanks the Prime Minister for making the whole of India experience the magic of Ram,” it added.
