Lucknow, Dec 25: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the vision of India envisaged by BJP’s ideologues Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee is being realised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing a rally at the inaugural event of the Rashtra Prerna Sthal here on Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, Singh, who is also the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Lucknow, welcomed the prime minister and greeted Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Singh said Modi has significantly enhanced India’s prestige at the international level, asserting that today the world listens carefully when India speaks.
He said Modi is a leader who has raised India’s stature globally and has been honoured with the highest civilian awards by 29 countries, making him a unique prime minister on the world stage.
He said statues of Mookerjee, Upadhyaya and Vajpayee were being unveiled by Prime Minister Modi at the site, describing the occasion as “highly significant” for the country. Singh also recalled Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya on his birth anniversary and paid tributes to his legacy from the stage.
“The vision of India envisaged by Mookerjee, Upadhyaya and Vajpayee is being realised by our prime minister,” the defence minister said.
Referring to the last 10 years, Singh said the country has made steady progress under Modi’s leadership, guided by the principle of remembering great national figures, taking pride in India’s heritage and ensuring their honour and preservation.
Inspired by this approach, statues of three towering personalities who shaped independent India and gave the nation dignity, self-respect and a new identity have been installed at the inspiration site, he said.
Singh congratulated Chief Minister Adityanath for establishing, what he described, a grand “national inspiration site” in Lucknow.
Speaking about Mookerjee, Singh said he struggled relentlessly to safeguard India’s unity and integrity and even sacrificed his life in pursuit of this goal, particularly in the context of Jammu and Kashmir, which earlier enjoyed a special status under Article 370.
He said Mookerjee’s resolve was fulfilled in independent India by Prime Minister Modi through the abrogation of Article 370.
Singh said the philosophical concepts of “Integral Humanism” and “Antyodaya” were articulated by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, adding that Modi has been consistently striving to build a strong, self-respecting and self-reliant India based on these ideas.
He said Upadhyaya believed that human happiness could not be measured by material wealth alone and emphasised dignity, self-respect, intellectual development and spiritual well-being.
He said the NDA government’s commitment to the welfare of the poor under Modi’s leadership draws inspiration from Upadhyaya, whose statue was unveiled at the site.
On Vajpayee, Singh said the former prime minister needs no introduction, adding that the people of the Lucknow parliamentary constituency shared a deep bond with him. He said Vajpayee’s genial and witty nature was well known.
Singh said Vajpayee’s contribution to Indian politics, society and culture was unparalleled and that under Modi’s leadership, India is progressing rapidly along the same path towards new heights of development.
He claimed “inflation has fallen to below one per cent for the first time in independent India’s history and the country is witnessing a growth rate of over eight per cent during Modi’s tenure”.
He said Modi has raised India’s stature internationally and transformed global perceptions about the country. Earlier, India’s voice on international platforms was not given due weight, but today, under Modi’s leadership, the world listens attentively to what India has to say, he added.
Highlighting initiatives for villages, the poor and farmers, Singh said Modi has undertaken major steps for rural development. He alleged that irregularities were common under the earlier MGNREGA scheme and said the government has instead introduced a new legislation titled “Viksit Bharat-G Ram G”, under which rural workers would now get employment for 125 days instead of 100, along with the creation of permanent infrastructure in villages.
Singh urged the thousands present at the rally to raise their hands and applaud the changes brought about under Modi’s leadership.
He also paid tributes to renowned sculptor Ram Sutar, who passed away recently aged 100, and expressed appreciation for the work done by other artists involved in creating the statues installed at the Rashtra Prerna Sthal. (Agencies)
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