PM Modi cites ‘international challenges’, says need to make India strong

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed that India must be made strong in view of emerging international challenges that were affecting every citizen of the world.

He said being a big state, Uttar Pradesh has a ”biggest” responsibility in making India powerful.

His remarks at the Maharajganj rally come against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine from where India is trying evacuate thousands of its citizens. Modi, however, did not specifically mention the crisis. Modi addressed another rally at Ballia. Both these places will go to polls in the sixth phase on March 3.

In Maharajganj, he said the Centre has launched a ”vibrant village” scheme to speed up economic development in the country’s bordering areas. ”The world is going through many challenges at this time, and no one can remain untouched by these situations. It affects every citizen of the world in one way or the other. ”In such a situation, the biggest need of the hour is a strong India. From agriculture to military, from sea to space, India has to become powerful in every field. Therefore, being such a big state of the country, UP has the biggest responsibility,” he said.

Talking about the Union government’s new initiative in the bordering areas, he said today, a network of roads are being laid at the Nepal border and the main roads are being converted into four-lane roads and highways. After the construction of an international airport in Kushinagar, the number of tourists visiting here has increased, he said. ”In this budget, a special plan has been made for the development of the villages located adjacent to our borders. And we have not only made promises, we have also made provisions of funds for it. We have named it vibrant village,” Modi said.

Maharajganj is located on the border of Nepal.

Hitting out at rivals over their criticism of the Covid vaccine, PM Modi said ”dynasts” never miss a chance to dent the country’s self-confidence. He said they (rivals) always cared for the interest of their family but the BJP government has worked for the poor by providing them health insurance and electricity.

Without naming the Samajwadi Party, Modi said, ”These ‘ghor pariwarvadi’ (staunch dynasts) can never make India capable nor can they make UP empowered. In this COVID-19 pandemic, you have seen how these people have spared no effort to hurt India’s self-confidence by talking negative about vaccines.” Every Indian, including these dynasts, should feel proud of the Covid vaccine, which has been made in India, he said. ”They tried to instigate the poor (people) against the vaccine. Even the major countries in the world are lagging much behind India in terms of vaccination. Today, India has administered 175 crore vaccine doses free of cost,” he said.

He went on to say, ”This is the strength of self-reliant and powerful India. But, these dynasts do not want to see India (as a) powerful (nation), and they keep on putting some obstruction or the other. ”Hence, they have to be defeated once again in this election. I have come today to tell you that you have to remain alert of these dynasts. The districts, which the dynasts have pushed back, we are working hard for their development,” he said.

Sharpening his attack, Modi gave several examples to highlight how dynasts cared only for their family interests whereas for the BJP, welfare of the poor and deprived was supreme.

”If these dynasts have to come and go somewhere, they have big vehicles, and they can fly at a blink of an eye. But, the poor have to live on the ground. To make the journey of the poor and the middle-class comfortable, we have made roads, built expressways, and modern trains are being run. ”For the farmers, a special Kisan Rail has been run so that they can reach other cities to sell their produce,” he said.

At the Ballia rally, Modi took a swipe at rivals, saying ”The people of UP have decided that the vehicle of UP is not going to get stuck in the by-lanes of casteism (jaat-paat ki rajniti)). UP has gained speed on the highway of development.” Highlighting his ”emotional relationship” with Ballia, Modi said, ”It was here that the life-changing scheme for mothers and sisters — Ujjwala Yojana — was started. Today, more than nine crore women in the country have got free gas connections, and this direction was shown by Ballia, he added.

He also spoke on various other welfare schemes of the government. Taking a jibe at political rivals, Modi said, ”There are many people in the country, who talk about farmers. But, did anyone, while talking about them, speak about the small farmers? Keeping the needs of small farmers in mind, our government started the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana”.

More than Rs 700 crore has been deposited directly in the accounts of about 5 lakh farmers of Ballia, he said.

”I am able to run these schemes because Yogi ji double engine government is here. So, what I send from Delhi, he does not put obstacles in its way, and the benefit of those schemes reach the beneficiary directly,” he said and appealed to the voters to send the dynasts ”back to their palace.” Modi invoked former prime minister Chandrashekhar, revolutionary Chittu Pandey, Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan and litterateur Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, who were all connected with Ballia.