India’s G20 presidency a matter of pride: Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that India’s presidency of the G20 is a matter of pride for all citizens and it is an occasion to establish globally Indianness and its culture.

Addressing a key meeting of BJP leaders from across the country, Modi also asked party members to maintain direct connect with border villages and said they should be developed as places that draw visitors.

Modi highlighted what the G20 presidency meant for a country like India, instructing party workers to focus on making this occasion glorious.

“Make each and every Indian feel proud of this achievement and make them also a participant of this historic occasion,” he said.

The first G20 Sherpa meeting under India’s presidency started in Rajasthan’s Udaipur on Sunday. This was the first of the 200 such meetings that will take place across 55 cities in India over the next one year.

On Monday evening, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a meeting of all political party presidents had been convened by the government to brief them about India’s G20 presidency. Top political leaders and party presidents, including Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, DMK chief MK Stalin and Naveen Patnaik of the Biju Janata Dal were scheduled to be present at the meeting.

India formally assumed the G20 presidency from Indonesia on December 1.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh briefed the press on the meeting and

MODI ASKED PARTY MEMBERS TO MAINTAIN DIRECT CONNECT WITH BORDER VILLAGES AND SAID THEY SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AS PLACES THAT DRAW VISITORS