Olympic Bronze Medalist Saina Nehwal commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his exceptional stamina and ability to maintain a demanding international travel schedule at the age of 73. Nehwal expressed her admiration during her speech, saying, "When I see my father say he can't accompany me to more matches, I understand. And then I look at our Prime Minister, who, at 73 is in Indonesia one morning, and in another country that same evening, it's unbelievable."
She also highlighted the significant impact of Modi’s initiatives on sports in India, particularly praising the Khelo India program. "Today, more youngsters are willing to risk taking up sports as a career because of how well sports is doing under his leadership," Nehwal noted, attributing the increase in Olympic medals since 2014 to these efforts. She shared a personal anecdote: "Modiji once told me that it is his dream to bring the Olympics to India. That statement touched me deeply, seeing such vision from someone who you wouldn't expect to have enough time for such goals."
The event took place at the Sandhya Convention in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, organised by the nationalist think tank Pragna Bharati to celebrate the release of the comic book '101 Reasons Why I Will Vote for Modi' by Shantanu Gupta.
The latest book from Gupta, on the eve of 2024 Election battle, is a comic book on the 10 Years of PM Narendra Modi’s work. It is a first of its kind comic book doing some serious political and policy commentary using the medium of graphic novels, targeted for the young voters. It has 101 cases with human stories through artwork in 10 different global comic art styles, a poetic verse in each case and data to back each of the 101 cases. 101 colleges, across all states of India, simultaneously launched this book with thousands of first time voters of Bharat subscribing to it, creating a national record with India Book of Records.
Dr Sangita Reddy, joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals and the spouse of Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, Chevella BJP MP candidate, also spoke at the event. She focused on PM Modi’s transformative policies that have improved life in rural India, particularly for rural women. "In rural areas where women wake up early in the morning when it is still dark to answer nature's call, today don't have to be scared or ashamed to do their business, thanks to toilets in their homes," Dr Reddy explained. She recounted how during her campaign in rural Telangana, locals affectionately referred to Modi as "biyyam icchetodu" or "the one who gives us paddy," underscoring his popularity and the tangible benefits of his policies.
Dr Reddy further discussed the broader implications of Modi's governance, especially in terms of technological adoption and global recognition. "Most of our current voters were children when Modi ji became Prime Minister. They take for granted things like mobile phones, digital payments, media, jobs, and social media," she stated, emphasising how Modi's policies have propelled India on a path of economic growth and enhanced its standing on the global stage.
