Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the gap between urban and rural India had narrowed significantly over the past 12 years, with village infrastructure witnessing substantial improvement.
Interacting with participants of the ongoing 'Seva Yatra' motorcycle rally from Varanasi to Vadnagar, Modi said the country had also witnessed greater self-reliance among women since his government came to power in 2014.
"Over the past 12 years, the gap between cities and villages in India has significantly narrowed. Today, infrastructure in villages has improved significantly," Modi said.
He said efforts towards social reform and positive change should continue irrespective of electoral considerations and stressed the need to work beyond "vote bank politics".
Two motorcycle rallies were flagged off on September 17, Modi's 76th birthday, from Vadnagar in Gujarat and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The rallies, which are scheduled to conclude on October 7, are being held to mark 25 years of Modi's public service.
Vadnagar, where Modi was born, and Varanasi, which he has represented in the Lok Sabha since 2014, are the two endpoints of the rallies.
The rallies are passing through towns, districts and villages, taking the message of service to grassroots communities while bringing together youth participation, social welfare, cultural engagement and community mobilisation.
Modi said Vadnagar had given him the values that shaped his life, while Kashi had added "countless colours of service" to those values.
On Thursday, Modi had interacted with participants of the rally travelling from Vadnagar to Varanasi.
(With inputs from PTI)
