Prime Minister Narendra Modi administered a pledge to the nation on Tuesday to work until Bharat becomes developed. He said, "I won't stop, tire or sway from my post." The event marked his 25 years as head of government, as the BJP uses his charisma to counter recent Opposition attacks.
"Nation First will be my commitment; serving the nation my goal... till Bharat becomes developed, I won't stop, tire or sway from my post" - Prime Minister Narendra Modi administered this pledge to the nation on Tuesday. He was addressing the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha', a gathering marking his 25 years as head of government, first in Gujarat and then at the Centre.
The Prime Minister has often spoken about his vision for India becoming a developed country by 2047, when it celebrates 100 years of Independence. But these remarks are significant against the backdrop of political developments in the national capital and elsewhere.
Over the past few months, the ruling BJP has struggled to manage public perception, first during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest against paper leaks and now the Opposition offensive against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over issues linked to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.
On the back foot, the BJP has pulled out the most tried-and- tested arrow in its quiver: Prime Minister Modi's personal charisma. The ruling party is playing up his 25 years as head of government to counter the Opposition's attacks. A battery of ministers have congratulated the Prime Minister, and allies such as Eknath Shinde have put out newspaper ads to drive home the point that the Prime Minister remains the country's tallest political leader.
The Prime Minister's address comes a day after the INDIA Opposition bloc's march to the Election Commission, followed by a sit-in led by Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, at Akashvani Bhavan.
The BJP played down the Opposition march as another attempt by the Congress to launch Rahul Gandhi's political career. "The Congress has been repeatedly trying to launch and re-launch Rahul Gandhi by any means necessary. When, despite numerous attempts, he failed to gain traction, the Congress and some of its allies decided that even if it meant resorting to anarchy and undermining the nation's democracy, they would launch Rahul Gandhi politically at any cost," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told the media.
The idea is simple: pit Rahul Gandhi against the individual Narendra Modi and paint the Opposition offensive as "anarchic" against the "stability" the BJP says the Prime Minister represents.
you may like
In his remarks today, the Prime Minister virtually presented a report card of his government's 12-year rule at the Centre, underlining how the Indian economy has emerged resilient during his term. He also referred to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the crackdown on Left-Wing Extremism during his tenure, a direct comparison with the UPA era.
The Prime Minister said he never imagined completing 25 years as head of government when he took the oath as Gujarat Chief Minister on October 7, 2001 and credited the "love of the people" for reaching this milestone.
Leading the wave of wishes, Home Minister Amit Shah said that in his 25 years of "sewa" - meaning public service, "Modi ji has transformed the very definition of governance through people-centric policies, their implementation, firmness in decision-making, transparency, and a guarantee of results, while establishing the ideal of 'politics of performance."