On govt anniversary, Modi sets tone for ’19
SAAF NIYAT, SAHI VIKAS Fight is with anarchist oppn, says Jaitley
On the fourth anniversary of his taking over as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Saturday blew the bugle for the 2019 general election, which finance minister Arun Jaitley said would be a fight between Modi and an “anarchist combination” of opposition parties.
The Bharatiya Janata Partyled National Democratic Alliance’s slogan for the occasion was “Desh Ka Badhta Jaata Vishwas…Saaf Niyat, Sahi Vikas” (the nation’s rising confidence… clean intent, right development.”) The main opposition Congress observed it as Vishwasghaat Diwas (betrayal day), citing poll promises it said hadn’t been kept by the government.
“Over the last four years, development has become a vibrant mass movement, with every citizen feeling involved in India’s growth trajectory. 125 crore Indians are taking India to great heights!,” Modi said in one of a series of tweets.
“I bow to my fellow citizens for their unwavering faith in our government,” he wrote in another post. “This support and affection is the biggest source of motivation and strength for the entire Government. We will continue to serve the people of India with the same vigour and dedica- tion,” he wrote, pledging to build a ”New India” and to always put “India First”.
Under Modi, the BJP in 2014 became the first political party to win a majority on its own in 30 years, promising “acche din” (good days) and an end to corruption that tainted the previous regime of the Congress-led UPA. It controls 20 of India’s 29 states, a testament to Modi’s vote-catching ability.
Yet, the ruling party faces a tough electoral test this year in Hindi heartland states it controls such as Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, leading up to next year’s general election. In assembly elections this month in Karnataka, the BJP won 104 seats out of 222 to emerge as the largest party in the House, but failed to demonstrate a majority.
Over the last four years, development has become a vibrant mass movement, with every citizen feeling involved in India’s growth trajectory. NARENDRA MODI, PM
The Congress on Saturday termed the four years of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government as a “period of treachery, trickery, revenge and lies” and said the people now know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah were “harmful” to the country.
The principal opposition party also released a booklet titled “India Betrayed” on the completion of four years of the NDA government. It was on May 26 four years ago that Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister, replacing Manmohan Singh who remained at the helm for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. In the booklet released in English and Hindi, the Congress has asked 40 questions to the Prime Minister on issues such as agriculture and rural distress, farmers’ suicides, “growing” unemployment, the alleged Punjab National Bank scam, Rafale aircraft deal, allegations of corruption against senior BJP leaders and rising fuel prices.
Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot and Randeep Singh Surjewala said an “atmosphere of fear and hatred had been created” under the NDA regime. Referring to alleged atrocities on Dalits, tribals, minorities and women, Azad said, “Nobody is safe in India under the BJP government. Everyone is getting sleepless nights.”
“Modi and Shah should have shared the formula of converting ₹50,000 into ₹80 crore. This is called khaane nahi denge, par khud khayenge,” said Azad, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
The Congress observed the fourth anniversary of the NDA government as “Vishwasghat Diwas (betrayal day)”. Apart from holding demonstrations across the country, party leaders also held news conferences in 20 different cities. “These four years can be defined in four terms — treachery, trickery, revenge and lies. Hence, India Betrayed,” Sur- jewala told reporters. Surjewala, who is the Congress party’s chief spokesperson, said that the government has incurred an expenditure of ₹4,600 crore on “insurmountable” advertisements. “Modi is on a perpetual campaign but refuses to understand people’s pain. In these four years, he accumulated publicity but India only accumulated pain,” he said and added “Modi ji would have been successful if the country could be run on speeches. There is a huge difference between his words and action”
For his part, Gehlot said that “an atmosphere of fear, hatred and violence was created” in the past four years of the Modi government. “No other Prime Minister has ever reduced the dignity of the post like Modi ji,” he said. The Congress leaders said the BJP should officially rename itself as the “Betrayal Janata Party”.
The right-wing party’s chief sought to rebut Congress’s charges by stating that under the UPA government, scams worth ₹12 lakh crores made headlines while during NDA’s tenure, development works have done so. Shah also took a dig at the Congress, saying that those who imposed the Emergency, imprisoned more than a lakh people and silenced the media are now talking of an atmosphere of fear and the freedom of media.
On the occasion, the Congress also released and showed a short film on the present situation in the country.