40,000 killed in J&K due to Art 370: Shah
*Connect with everyone to build country: Modi
NEW DELHI, Feb 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Sunday that the BJP’s return to power with a strong mandate is the first condition for India to realise its big goals as he exhorted thousands of party members to work with renewed energy, vigour and enthusiasm for the next 100 days to ensure a big victory.
Addressing nearly 11,500 BJP delegates from across the country at Bharat Mandapam here, he said he is seeking power not for “satta bhog” (enjoying power) but for the country’s benefit, and slammed the opposition, especially the Congress, saying they make all kinds of false promises but lack a road map for making the country developed.
This is something only the BJP can do, he said, exuding confidence about his return to power while noting that many foreign countries have invited him for engagements in July, August and September. This suggests that these countries also know that “aayega toh Modi hi” (Modi’s re-election is inevitable).
In his 65-minute valedictory speech at the BJP’s national convention ahead of the Lok Sabha elections expected in April-May, the Prime Minister stuck to the message of the country’s growth and rising global standing besides his government’s measures for empowering every section of society, especially the poor.
He asked BJP members to connect with all sections of society, including those who have not been inclined to the party, saying they have to earn the trust of everyone.
When everyone makes an effort, then the BJP will win more than 370 seats and the NDA led by it 400-plus seats in the 543-member House, he said.
“We have to connect with everyone, not for forming government but to build the country,” he said.
Taking an aim at critics who wondered if he would be able to handle foreign policy, he said India’s ties with West Asia is at its strongest 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 through the prism of Pakistan, he said.
Five Arab countries have bestowed their highest honours on him. Modi said the nation no longer thinks and dreams small. It now has big dreams and has taken big resolutions to make India a developed country by 2047, he added.
“The next five years are going to be crucial. We have to take a big leap towards ‘Viksit Bharat’. The first condition for realising the big goals for the country is to ensure the return of the BJP to power with a strong mandate,” he said.
He said the Congress 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.
How confused the Congress is, he said. “Abusing Modi and levelling false allegations against me have become the single-point agenda of its leaders,” he said, claiming that the party is the mother of politics of nepotism, appeasement and corruption. He also accused the Congress of seeking to divide the nation along regional and language lines.
The Congress’ biggest sin is that it has not shied away from demoralising even the country’s armed forces, the prime minister charged. Addressing the delegates who repeatedly raised slogans cheering him, Modi asserted that the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has ended the centuries-long wait and mentioned the matter among some of the achievements of his Government, including the opening of Kartarpur Sahib corridor, repeal of Article 370 and women’s reservation.
“But, for NDA to cross 400, the BJP will have to cross the milestone of 370,” Modi said. The prime minister said fulfilling the dreams of crores of women, poor and youth is his mission.
“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.
He said 10 years of unblemished governance and pulling 25 crore people out of poverty were no ordinary feats. “If I had thought of my home, it would not have been possible to build homes for crores of people,” he said.
“A senior leader once told me ‘I have done enough as PM and CM, I should take it easy now’. But 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.
“My efforts are dedicated to the people of India. The dreams of Indians are my commitments,” Modi said. In the times to come, there will be plenty of opportunities for “our mothers, sisters and daughters”, the prime minister said.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said that because of Article 370, over 40,000 people got killed in Kashmir and terrorism and separatism increased in the Valley, but on August 5, 2019 PM Narendra Modi-led Government struck down the Article once for all.
Shah made the remarks while addressing BJP National Convention in New Delhi today.
Shah said that when Constitution came into being, it was decided that Article 370 is temporary, which means it needs to be struck down at an appropriate time, but due to appeasement politics that appropriate time never came in 70 years under the Congress rule.
“Due to Article 370 terrorism and separatism increased in Kashmir. Pakistan got chance to enter Kashmir and over 40,000 people got killed, but appeasement politics didn’t allow to scrap Article 370,” he said.
Shah said that the people of the country gave majority to PM Modi-led Government for the second time and on August 5, 2019, Modi struck down Article 370 once for all and today Kashmir is touching new heights of development.
Shah likened the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to the Mahabharata war, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the BJP-led camp working for the country’s development while “INDI alliance” under the Congress is full of family-run parties and corruption.
Shah lashed out at the opposition INDIA bloc for its promotion of dynastic and appeasement politics.
“Just as in the Mahabharata war there were two camps, Kauravas and Pandavas, similarly today there are two camps ahead of the elections,” Shah said.
One of the camps is the BJP-led NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the other is “INDI alliance” led by the Congress, he said.
“INDI alliance is an alliance of all dynastic parties, which nurture the politics of dynasticism, corruption, appeasement, while the BJP-led NDA is an alliance of parties which follows the principles of nation,” he said.
People of the country will have to decide which of the two camps they want to give mandate to this time, he added.
The opposition, he said, is full of “2G, 3G and 4G” parties, a reference to the second, third and fourth generation of families running these parties.
“Congress which leads INDI alliance ended the spirit of democracy with corruption, dynasticism and appeasement so that people’s mandate do not come independently,” Shah said.
Prime Minister Modi brought the politics of development at the centre stage by ending the Opposition parties’ politics of dynasticism, corruption, appeasement and caste, he said.
The Prime Minister has worked for the development of all sections of society and enhanced the country’s global standing, Shah said, while asserting that there is no doubt in people’s mind that the Prime Minister will retain power for a third term.
Shah described Modi as a candle which removes darkness while burning itself, as he lauded his dedication, hardwork and commitment to the country’s progress.
While PM Modi thinks of the poor and the country’s development, INDIA bloc leaders think of making their children prime minister and chief ministers, Shah said, referring to Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad and M K Stalin among others.
“The Congress is the mother of corruption and its nurturer in this country,” he said as he listed the alleged scams during the Congress regime and that of its allies.
All the family “princes” have come together against Modi as they think only someone from a powerful family can occupy the top position, he said amid slogans in support of Modi at the meeting.
“On the one hand there are family-run parties and on the other is the son of a poor mother,” he said.(Agencies)
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