NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stepped up attack on the Opposition parties, that have rechristened themselves as ‘INDIA’, saying it was an ‘obstacle’ to India becoming a developed nation, and that 'Bharat' was calling for corruption, dynasty-based politics and appeasement to 'Quit India'.
A day ahead of the debate in Lok Sabha on the No-Confidence motion against his government, the Prime Minister used 'Bharat' to describe the country and attacked 'INDIA' bloc by calling it ‘a grave threat’ to the country.
Speaking at the national handloom day celebration at ‘Bharat Mandapam’, Pragati Maidan, Modi also said it was his government's endeavour to make India's handloom Khadi and the textile sector a world champion. The Prime Minister also highlighted various steps taken by his government since 2014 for weavers and the handloom sector.
Speaking about the relevance of August 9, the Prime Minister said the date had been a witness to the biggest movement of India — the ‘Quit India’ movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi who sent the message of “Quit India” to the British. “Shortly after this, the British had to leave India,” he said.
Modi underlined that it was the need of the hour that the country moved forward with willpower. “The same mantra, which was once used to drive out the British, can be used to chase away such elements as have become obstacles on the path to building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ or developed India”, he said, adding that entire India was echoing in one voice that corruption, dynasty, appeasement must Quit India.
The Prime Minister asserted that those evils in India were a big challenge for the country, and expressed confidence that the nation would defeat all of them. “The country will be victorious, the people of India will be victorious,” he added.
Modi highlighted the contribution of the handloom industry of India and said that the confluence of old and new defined new India. “The India of today is not just about ‘vocal for local’, but also about providing a global platform to take it to the world”, he said.
Talking about his conversations with the weavers before the start of today’s program, the Prime Minister noted the presence of various handloom clusters from across the country in the grand celebrations and welcomed them all.
The PM informed the audience that the turnover of Khadi and village industries was only around Rs 25-30,000 crore nine years ago, but then it had reached to more than Rs 1,30,000 crore.
He mentioned that the additional Rs 1 lakh crore had reached those associated with the handloom sector in the villages and the tribals. “With the spirit of ‘vocal for local’, the citizens are buying indigenous products wholeheartedly and it has become a mass movement,” he said.
Modi reiterated the need to repeat the Swadeshi resolution to support the weavers and craftsmen in the upcoming festivities of Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Utsav, Dasara and Diwali.
The Prime Minister also said, “The government is developing ‘Ekta mall’ in every capital city of the country to promote handicraft and indigenous products. An ‘Ekta mall’ has already been set up at the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat.
Referring to the rise of a neo-middle class in India, he said a huge young consumer class was being formed for every product, and it presented a huge opportunity for textile companies, and it was also the responsibility of these companies to strengthen the local supply chain and invest in it.
"If we want to take advantage in the future, then we have to invest in the local supply chain today. This is the way to build a developed India and realize the dream of a $5 trillion economy," Modi said.
The Prime Minister asked the textile industry and the fashion world to increase the scope of thinking, and work to make India one of the top three economies of the world.
