LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday ruled out any rethink on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), hollowing of Articles 370 and 35 A in J&K and bar on triple talaq despite pressure from all sides. “Duniya bhar ke saarey dabao ke bawjood, inn faislon par hum qayam hain aur qayam rahengey (Despite pressure from all sides, we remain firm on these decisions and will continue to be so),” he said, adding they had to be taken in the interest of the nation.
At a public gathering after unveiling a 63-ft statue of party ideologue Deen Dayal Uapdhyaya in Chandauli during a day-long visit to Varanasi, Modi launched a veiled attack on the previous governments for their ‘inaction’ due to which sensitive decisions had been hanging fire since Independence. “All difficult decisions that had been left pending are being taken with conviction by our government with the blessing of Lord Shiva,” the PM said.
The Ram temple in Ayodhya also figured prominently in his addressses during the day, including a gathering of Lingayats. “We are entering an outstanding decade in the history of India. A grand Ram temple that will fulfil people’s aspirations in Ayodhya and the upcoming Kashi Vishwanath Corridor will together define this decade,” he said. At another event, while addressing over 10,000 artisans engaged in the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme of the state government, Modi noted its ability to contribute to the goal of making India a $5 trillion economy.
Development projects worth `25,000 crore were underway in Kashi, he said, adding they would be pivotal for progress of the entire Purvanchal region. The PM began the day by participating in the centenary celebrations of Jangambari Mutt belonging to the Lingayat community in Karnataka.
Long wait for tough decisions
“Be it scrapping of Article 370 from J&K or the CAA, India waited for decisions on these for years,” Modi told the gathering in Chandauli