PM Modi a social reformer too, his govt fulfilling Phule's dreams: BJP

With the BJP organising nationwide events on social reformer Jyotirao Phule’s birth anniversary, the party on Monday cited several welfare programmes of the central government for empowerment of women and disadvantaged sections to laud Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a social reformer who is fulfilling Phule’s dreams.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Modi had taken inspiration from Phule and his wife Savitribai to start a number of schemes to empower, backwards, dalits and other disadvantaged groups.

Savitribai is noted for her role in boosting education among women and lauded as India’s first woman teacher.

Over 11 crore toilets were built across the country by the Modi government, Patra said at a press conference, adding that 21 per cent of the total number of toilets built in the country since independence were constructed in the last seven years against 60 per cent in the previous 70 years.

The prime minister worked to connect over 10 crore houses with LPG connections and also addressed the skewed gender ratio with ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme, he said, hailing them as big measures to empower women.

‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna’ benefited three crore women while over two-thirds of the beneficiaries of ‘Mudra’ scheme, under which loans up to Rs 10 lakh are given to non-corporate, non-farm small and micro enterprises without any collateral and at concessional interest rates, are women, he said. A majority of them are from backward classes and dalits, he added.

Patra also referred to ‘Eklavya’ schools opened by the government for Scheduled Tribes.

Modi should not be merely seen as a prime minister or a leader with global stature, the spokesperson said, adding that he is also a social reformer who is working tirelessly.

As part of its ‘samajik nyay pakhwada’ (fortnight dedicated to social justice) campaign to highlight the central government’s welfare measures, the BJP has been focussing on various initiatives taken by the Modi government.

It is also dedicating a day each to pay tributes to Phule and B R Ambedkar, architect of the Constitution, on their birth anniversary. The campaign has been organised to mark the party’s 42nd Foundation Day which fell on April 6.