Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the first leg of his three-nation trip, addressed the Indian community at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
Modi was welcomed by resounding applause from the audience who chanted "Modi hai toh mumkin hai." While addressing the Indian community, he said that it is the people who gave the BJP government a resounding mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for building 'New India'.
And that in 'New India' there is noose tightening on corruption, nepotism, loot of public money and terrorism, he said.
While talking about the strong decisions taken by the BJP government with 75 days of coming to power, he said, "We did away with the practice of triple talaq; injustice cannot be done to Muslim women in new India."
"There is no scope for temporary in India. You would have seen that a country of 1.25 billion people, the land of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautam Buddha, Ram, Krishna, took 70 years to remove what was temporary.
To remove temporary it took 70 years, I don't know whether I should laugh or cry...Reform, perform, and transform and with permanent systems, the country is moving forward to achieve its goal," Modi said in a veiled reference to Article 370 abrogation in Kashmir.
He further added, "The 100-day milestone is yet to arrive. Mind you, the first 50-75 days are generally taken to plan things and get greetings and congratulatory calls, but we did not get into that."
To underscore the partnership between the two countries, and what they can achieve together, a lot is being discussed about 'INFRA' which is 'In plus Fra'--the alliance of India and France.
Modi said, "From solar infra to social infra, from technical infra to space infra, from digital infra to defence infra, the India-France alliance is moving forward strongly."
Highlights from Modi's speech to the Indian diaspora in UNESCO headquarters in Paris:
India is moving fast on the path of development
India will achieve most of the climate change goals set for 2030, in the next year and a half
No place in India for corruption
In new India today, the way action is being taken against corruption, nepotism and terrorism, it has never happened before
The country is quite ahead in the area of start-ups
The world’s biggest health scheme is being implemented in India at present
India achieved targeted goals due to team spirit
There have been a lot of positive changes in India in the last five years
India moving fast on path of development
Huge support for French football team in India
India, France friendship unbreakable
India, France share historic ties
We have fought fascism and extremism not only in India but also in France
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The address came after he met his French counterpart, Edouard Philippe where they condemned terrorism, including cross-border terrorism and terror-related incidents in France and India. He also unveiled a memorial to the Indian victims of the two Air India crashes in France in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Prime Minister had earlier met French President, Emmanuel Macron at the Château de Chantilly and discussed how to "further build upon robust & comprehensive strategic partnership."
Modi will be heading to the United Arab Emirates on Friday where he will be receiving the 'Order of Zayed', the highest civilian decoration conferred by the UAE government.
With agency inputs.