LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the country’s growth can no longer be attributed to just one family, launching a veiled attack on Congress’ first family and dynastic politics.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Rashtra Prerna Sthal on 101st birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Modi said the BJP government has freed the country from the tradition of eulogising a single family for all good that had happened.
He said the BJP government is honouring and acknowledging the contributions of everyone irrespective of political affiliations.
“Congress and its allies politically kept the BJP untouchable. The BJP’s values teach us to respect everyone. (Former PM) Narasimha Rao and (former President) Pranab Mukherjee were awarded Bharat Ratna. Our government honoured Mulayam Singh Yadav and Tarun Gogoi with national awards,” he said, adding that no one could expect such recognition from the Congress or the SP.
He said the NDA government is working on Dr BR Ambedkar’s principles and taking them to people through ‘Panchteerthas’. The PM claimed that while previous Congress and SP governments tried to erase the legacy of Baba Saheb, BJP drew pride in shattering the wall of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir by working towards realising his resolves.
Modi referred to the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first deputy PM and Union home minister of independent India, who completed the daunting task of integrating various states with India. He claimed that Patel was not given the stature in history which he deserved.
“The ‘Statue of Unity’ built in Gujarat now stands as a reminder of his great contributions,” the PM said. Modi said the dynastic politics now faces insecurity. “Consequently, the dynasts tend to cut the line of their contemporaries short to keep their relevance intact,” he added.
Praising CM Yogi Adityanath for giving “good governance” to UP, Modi said BJP’s double-engine government has greatly benefited the state. “UP is carving out its own distinct identity in 21st-century India. I am fortunate to be an MP from Uttar Pradesh.
The hardworking people of UP are writing a new future. Today, UP is discussed for its development unlike earlier when it was known for poor law and order,” the PM said. “The grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham are creating a new global identity for UP. Places like Rashtra Prerna Sthal are also becoming part of this new identity.”
The PM said a missile used in the ‘Operation Sindoor’ is now being manufactured in Lucknow’s defence corridor. He added that that the 30-acre site, where the Rashtra Prerna Sthal was developed, used to be a “garbage dump” for decades before being cleared in the last three years.
Rashtra Prerna Sthal features 65-feet bronze statues of BJP icons Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, symbolising their contributions to India’s political thought, nation-building, and public life.
Yogi said the legacy of Mookerjee, Upadhyaya and Vajpayee is being carried forward by PM Modi to create a self-reliant and developed nation.