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PM Narendra Modi`s `Bharat ki Baat Sabke Saath` in London: As it happened
PM Modi on Wednesday said that his life at the railway station was about his personal struggles.
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The interactive session ends. PM Modi thanks the audience amidst loud cheer from them.
Prasoon Joshi asks PM Modi - How would you want to be remembered in history?
Do you know who wrote Vedas... you don't, so who is Modi, he is a small thing... Modi has not been born to be inscribed in history... I am like any of you, like you I have been given a job to do... my aim is not be remembered in history, I only want the world to recognise India. I only want India to shine - replies PM Modi.
A girl from the audience asks PM Modi - there are many political parties who want to get power at any cost. Don't you feel scared at times?
Criticism is the beauty of democracy. I am not scared of criticism... but for criticism, one needs to do research, however, people do not have time for it, so people resort to allegations... that's unfortunate... I always welcome criticism... I don't react to criticism as I give value to them and mean to learn from them - replies PM.
I believe that I can tell India's truth to the world... when people talked about world order, only western countries were mentioned... during the evacuation in Yemen, many countries requested us to help their people too... India has never discriminated between nations... I have always said that we will always see everyone eye-to-eye and treat everyone equally... India has made a place to themselves in the world... today India sets agenda in the world forums - PM.
Prasoon Joshi talks about the road ahead for India, 'new India' and India's place in the world order.
PM Modi asks the audience - Hasn't the power of your passport increased? Don't the people all over the world, look at the Indian diaspora differently?
He adds - The world has been forced to acknowledge India's position... Can you image, after Independence no Indian PM went to Israel? One should have the confidence to go to Israel and Palestine when one should... I will further cooperation with Saudi Arabia and for the energy needs of India I will also engage with Iran.
The 125 crore people of India are my family... when people are in need, I always feel like getting up and running up for them... also, today I am PM so people will do things for me, but what about tomorrow, so I pray to God that I leave this world without being a burden on anyone... it is important to keep oneself fit... fitness is not something that you get as a legacy - PM.
A member of the audience asks PM Modi as to where he gets his emergy from.
"There can be many answers to this question. One can be - for many years I have been hurled 2-3 kgs of abuses," jokes PM Modi, amidst laughter from the audience.
Joshi asks PM Modi as to how he's above worldly attractions. "This is a personal question... material things never attracted me... as CM of Gujarat when I used to get any gifts, I used to auction them and donate it for the education of girl child," says PM.
People say that they expect me to do certain things - PM.
If you compare my government to the previous government, you will find us ahead in all parameters, says PM.
Previously people used to ask how much has gone, now they ask as to how much has come, he adds.
Today we are working for farmer welfare, be through doubling their income from agriculture by 2022, we are proceeding with a certain goal - PM.
PM Modi talks about schemes of government like Mudra Yojna and urea coating.
Moderator Prasoon Joshi asks PM about 'Modi model of development'.
To remove poverty, it is important to empower them and not feed them. We are making an eco-system where there will be an opportunity for all, says PM Modi.
One of the things I wanted to do in London was to pay homage to Bhagwan Basaveshwara ( Lingayat philosopher). He lived his whole life for democratic values - PM.
It is unfortunate that there has been a concerted effort to destroy India's history. We know about Magna Carta, but don't know about our own history, he adds.
(PM Modi earlier on Wednesday paid floral tributes at the bust of the 12th-century social reformer at Albert Embankment Gardens on the banks of the river Thames. The event - on the saint's 885th birth anniversary on Wednesday - was organised by The Basaveshwara Foundation, a non-profit organisation-based in the UK that has installed the statue of Basaveshwara.)
"Maternity leaves for women have been increased to 26 weeks and this has been done keeping in mind the need for the good health of the child and of the mother," says PM.
He adds, "10 crore families will be insured for medical expenses of up to Rs, 5 lakhs... We want to have a holistic approach to healthcare... My only wish is to care for the people of my countrymen."
Education for the students, employment for the youth and medicine for the aged is what we should lay emphasis on, for the welfare of a society - PM.
'Ayushman Bharat' is one initiative that has been taken by us, to provide the best health facilities to the families of India, says PM.
A member of the audience asks PM Modi about Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Scheme - announced by the NDA government in 2018 Union Budget.
"What are your expectations from 'Modicare'," Samuel asks.
Demonetisation came as a challenge for all of us, but I am proud of the people of my country that they contributed to this move to curb black money from the society - PM.
We have a million problems but we have a billion people who can solve them, says PM.
Prasoon Joshi asks the Prime Minister - you are working hard but can you change the nation alone?
"My strength is hard work and the blessings of my countryman. I am a common man. I am like you. I can make mistakes, but my intentions will not be bad. I worked as CM of Gujarat for many years and now as PM, I have promised my countrymen that I will never intentionally do anything wrong," PM Modi answers.
18,000 villages did not have electricity. So many women do not have access to toilets. These realities of our nation did not let me sleep. I was determined to bring about a positive change in the lives of India's poor, says PM.
I do not need to read books to understand poverty. I have lived in poverty, I know what it is to be poor and belong to the backward section of society. I want to work for the poor, the marginalised and the downtrodden - PM Modi.
Parsoon Joshi asks PM Modi about making toilets. Talking about women's safety PM Modi says "incidents like rape should always be condemned, it is a subject of worry for the country. Talks like how many happened in this regime and how many happened in another regime should be avoided."
"I had talked about this issue from a different angle from the Red Fort in my first Independence Day speech... not only girls but boys should also be asked where they went after they come back home... now more than 3 lakh houses are open-defecation-free," he adds.
A member of the audience asks a question on surgical strikes against Pakistan. "India has never tried to encroach any country's land... Two and a half lakh Indian soldiers had taken part in World Wars... India takes part in peacekeeping mission... India does not believe in usurping other people's rights... but if someone makes terrorism their business, then Modi knows how to give it back... would anyone of you want that I should have kept quiet? I am proud of our soldiers. They worked according to the plan and came back before sunrise... I had told the officer-in-charge to tell Pakistan what we had done, we did not hide from them, only then we told the media and the world... The terror exporters should now understand it very well that India has changed now," says PM.
Participative democracy makes good governance possible - PM.
Importance should be given to participatory democracy, says PM.
Development should also become a mass movement. It should not be thought that everything the government will do. After Independence, it came to be thought that work of development is not my work but government's work - PM.
PM Modi talks about Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi brought people from all walks of life together and gave them work that they were good in and turned freedom struggle into a mass movement, he says.
The day I stop becoming impatient, I will become useless for the people. Every night when I sleep I dream of the next day, says PM.
My government is working at thrice the rate today, whether in Railway sector or in the area of solar energy - PM.
If a person has a cycle, a person aspires a scooter. If a person has a scooter, a person aspires a car. It is natural to aspire. India is getting increasingly aspirational - PM.
When someone says 'feverish anticipation' is a bad thing, I say they're old. I am happy people have expectation from me, says PM Modi.
When a sense of satisfaction creeps in then live stops to move ahead - PM.
People are equivalent to God in a democracy and if they wish even a tea-seller can become their representative and shake hands at the Royal Palace, says PM.
When asked about his journey from a railway station to the Royal Palace now by Prasoon Joshi, PM Modi says, "The journey of life is very difficult. Railway station taught me how to struggle and live and told me that life should be lived for others... but Royal Palace is not for me.... that is not the real Modi. It is the strength of India's democracy that a common man becomes their representative and meets the Queen of England."
PM Modi reaches the venue.
Joshi recites a poem of his.
Prasoon Joshi addresses the public.
People can also dial 9345014501 to listen the broadcast live.
The venue is one where the first-ever meeting of the United Nations took place in 1946 and has hosted historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
People from across the world will get the opportunity to ask questions to PM Modi. Questions will be sourced from Facebook, Twitter, NaMo App. People present at the venue will also get a chance to ask questions. The moderator for the event will be Prasoon Joshi who will also ask and facilitate questions from around the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly be participating in a unique programme `Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath` at the iconic Central Hall Westminster in London. He will answer questions of people on hopes, aspirations and all issues relating to India. In a way, this will show India`s rising influence and successes on the world stage.
London: Taking a dig at the previous governments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said days of incremental change are over and Indians have become more and more aspirational under the BJP-led government at the Centre. Speaking at the 'Bharat ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme at the iconic Central Hall Westminster in London, PM Modi said people have more expectations from his government because they know that it can deliver.