PM Modi Mocks Congress: ‘BJP Worked For Future Generations, Not For Just One Family’

Prime Minister Modi is on a two-day visit to four states, which kicked off today.

Varanasi: Taking an apparent jibe at the previous Congress-led UPA government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that during the past nine years, the BJP at the Centre has formulated policies keeping the coming generations in mind and not worked just for one family and one generation. The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 12,100 crore in his home constituency, Varanasi. During his address, he said, "In the last nine years, we have not made policies for just one family and one generation, but have worked keeping in mind that the future of the coming generations should also improve."

#WATCH | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: "...The schemes of previous governments were made in air-conditioned rooms, they did not follow up on the implementation...BJP government met the beneficiaries, & we started a culture of direct benefit & direct feedback...In last 9 years, we have… pic.twitter.com/vNBNCyztDW — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2023

PM Modi further said that the previous governments came up with their welfare schemes sitting in air-conditioned rooms without seeing their impact on the ground.  Addressing a public rally in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, the PM called the beneficiaries of welfare projects today examples of "real secularism" and social justice.

"Previous governments made their schemes sitting in air-conditioned rooms, never saw ground realities, but now the BJP government has started a dialogue with the beneficiaries," PM Modi said. "And its effect is that both the benefit and the feedback of the schemes are direct," the prime minister said, adding, "Ensuring self-respect for the poor is a Modi guarantee."

He said that today Uttar Pradesh including Kashi (Varanasi) has been gifted with projects worth about Rs 12,000 crore. "Among these, there are projects related to rail, road, water, education, tourism, there are projects related to ghats, many congratulations to all of you for these development works," PM Modi said.

Asserting that government's flagship scheme, Mudra Yojana, helped crores of beneficiaries to start their work, the Prime Minister said, "In UP also crores of beneficiaries have started their work by taking advantage of Mudra Yojana. In this, the poor, Dalit, backward, tribal and minority family members and women entrepreneurs have benefited the most." "This is the social justice, which is being guaranteed by the BJP government," he added.

PM Modi said that in the last nine years, phenomenal work has been done to improve the connectivity of his parliamentary constituency. "The development works that are being done here (Varanasi) are also creating many new employment opportunities," he said.

The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to four states, which kicked off today.

PM Modi Hails Gita Press

Earlier in the day, he Earlier, he addressed the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Gita Press in Gorakhpur. The PM said the world’s largest publisher of Hindu religious literature is "not less than any temple". "Sometimes saints show the way, sometimes institutions such as the Gita Press," PM Modi said in his closing address.

“Gita Press has 1,600 publications in 15 languages and it propagates the concept of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" among people. The office of Gita Press is no less than a temple for crores of people. There is Gita in its name, as well as in its work. The spiritual light that was ignited here in the form of Gita Press in 1923 is guiding humanity today. It is our good fortune that we all are witnessing the golden century of this humanitarian mission," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister said an institution like Gita Press is not only associated with religion and work but also has a "national character". "Geeta Press connects India and strengthens India's solidarity. It is such an institution which has always enriched social values and shown the path of duty to people," he said. Gita Press is the world's only printing press that is not just an organisation but a living faith, the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi made these remarks days after the Congress attacked the Centre for conferring the Gandhi Peace Prize on the Gita Press, which claims to be the largest publishing house of Hindu religious literature, PM Modi said the publisher is "guiding humanity" through its work.

PM Flags Off Two Vande Bharat Trains

The PM also flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains - Gorakhpur-Lucknow (at Gorakhpur Railway Station) and Jodhpur-Sabarmati (via video conference).

"...Vande Bharat train has given a new flight to the middle class of the country with facilities and amenities. Today, leaders from every corner of the country are writing letters to me asking that Vande Bharat be run from our region as well...", PM Narendra Modi said as he termed Vande Bharat as a boon to middle-class society. Gorakhpur, UP: Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, CEO, Railway Board on Vande Bharat train said, "...The timing of this train is convenient. This train will save two hours as compared to the fastest train on this route..."

He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state Governor Anandiben Patel. Earlier, in Chhattisgarh's Raipur, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of eight projects over Rs 7,000 crore.

Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express will connect the city of Baba Gorakhnath to the city of Lord Ram, Ayodhya and the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. Also, tourist places like Kushinagar, Siddharthnagar Sant Kabir Nagar, a town of the 15th-century mystic poet 'Kabir', will benefit from improved connectivity.

The forthcoming blue-and-white Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express is a semi-high-speed train that would create a crucial link between the cities of Gorakhpur, also known as Baba Gorakhnath's city, and Lucknow, also known as the city of Nawabs.

The state's first miniature version of the semi-high-speed train will have eight coaches, including seven with air conditioning and one with an executive chair car.

The Jodhpur-Sabarmati Vande Bharat Express will improve the connectivity between Rajputana and Ahmedabad, a City of Mahatma Gandhi. The train will connect Pali, Abu Road, Palanpur and Mehsana cities on the route. This will benefit the important tourist sites in the historic cities of Jodhpur and Ahmedabad.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth Rs 12,000 crores in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/vnmOzJpbqO — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2023

The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone for five National Highway projects worth around Rs 6,400 crores. PM Modi's hectic tour of four states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan will conclude on Saturday, in which he will dedicate multiple projects worth Rs 50,000 crores to the nation.

PM Modi's hectic tour of four states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan will conclude on Saturday, in which he will dedicate multiple projects worth Rs 50,000 crores to the nation.