What Modi said in his NDA meet address
New Delhi: In his address during a crucial National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in New Delhi as the coalition celebrates 12 years in power at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put out the message of a “collective win”, while laying down a roadmap for the future—from moving towards self-reliance in nuclear energy, to a healthy competition among states on who becomes a trillion-dollar economy the fastest.
The meeting also marks PM Modi surpassing former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to become the longest continuously serving elected PM in India.
Addressing the meet, Modi expressed his gratitude towards his NDA allies, which has also passed a resolution lauding his 12-year tenure and the milestone of becoming “the longest serving elected Prime Minister for consecutive terms”. He said that this wasn’t an individual win for him, but rather a collective win for all of them.
Asserting that the country is bigger than the party, he said no decision is difficult when the government works with the spirit of “nation first”.
“Previously, governments were afraid to even discuss Article 370. We abolished it and implemented a single Constitution across the country. Previously, bombs, guns, and blockades were indispensable in the Northeast. We restored peace and stability to the Northeast. Previously, India silently suffered after terrorist attacks. We carried out surgical strikes and air strikes against terrorists,” Modi said, adding that the world witnessed India’s strength in Operation Sindoor.
“It was previously assumed that Naxalism and Maoism would never end, and could never end. We have freed the country from the poison of Naxalism and Maoism. Reservation for women, the law against triple talaq, the CAA, the Indian Penal Code, one rank-one pension for soldiers. The NDA government has not shied away from taking any action in the national interest, and we are all proud of this,” PM added.
A notable aspect of the NDA’s achievements over the past 12 years, he said, was that these achievements were secured in a period of global instability and turmoil. This era, he added, was evidence of the benefits of having a stable government.
Looking forward, PM Modi asserted that the country must now meet the target of 500 gigawatts of renewable energy as soon as possible. “While work on solar energy is progressing rapidly, we must now also accelerate the achievement of our nuclear energy goals. We have demonstrated to the world just how far India has advanced in fast breeder reactor technology. This technology will lead us toward self-reliance in nuclear energy. India is making rapid strides in the fields of green hydrogen and green ammonia. In the near future, these technologies will establish India as a key player on the global green energy map, and that recognition is certain.”
He also said that the day isn’t far when the citizens will travel in a ‘made-in-India’ civil aircraft.
PM Modi also called for a competition among the states, on which state becomes a trillion-dollar economy the fastest, and on which city becomes the biggest hub of innovation.
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‘Congress growth rate’
PM Modi credited the NDA government’s policies for lifting more than 25 crore people out of poverty during these 12 years of the NDA government. The people of the country, he said, entrusted the NDA with their trust “after the betrayal of the Congress”.
“I believe that we must not let those who were poor yesterday, and have now become the ‘neo middle class’, slip back. Therefore, as a government and as public representatives, we must work day and night. We have put in the utmost effort, driven by the resolve to fulfil the expectations that this nation of 1.4 billion people has placed in us. We must realise the aspirations of India’s youth, its women, its middle class, and its farmers,” he said.
He credited NDA’s 12 years for the country breaking free from “the web of Congress’s machinations”, alleging that Congress had made the country believe that a faster rate of growth and development was not possible at all.
“They very cleverly called it the Hindu growth rate…the blot was put on the big Hindu population of the country, when it should have been called the Congress growth rate,” he said.
He compared the increase in the number of airports, metros in countries, and defence exports, among others. He pointed out that India is now the “number one country” in digital transactions.
“In 2014, India imported the majority of the mobile phones it required. Today, India manufactures over 330 million mobile handsets domestically. In 2014, solar capacity stood at just 2.5 gigawatts; today, it exceeds 150 gigawatts. Ethanol blending was merely 1.5% in 2014, whereas today it has reached 20%. In 2014, the country did not have a single semiconductor unit; today, more than 10 semiconductor units under construction are propelling India towards modernity,” PM said.
“The point is, if so much could be achieved in 12 years, why didn’t it happen over the preceding decades? This illustrates the difference between the Congress-era growth rate and the NDA-era growth rate,” he added.
A message for the middle class
Addressing the middle class of the country, PM Modi said that prior to 2014, the middle class often bore the brunt of legal and bureaucratic tangles.
“However, we understood the struggles and aspirations of the middle class; that is why, today, income up to Rs 12 lakh is completely tax-free. The country now boasts a simplified tax system, and a robust infrastructure has made life easier. Over the past 12 years, new opportunities have emerged across various sectors for the children of middle-class families. The government is also helping to fulfil the dream of home ownership for the middle class,” he said, recounting other measures such as the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and GST reforms.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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