Seeking another term for nation, not self: PM Modi

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, February 18

Bharat Mandapam in the national Capital resonated with thunderous applause as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told an 11,000-strong saffron gathering that every country was convinced of BJP’s return to power in the General Election this summer.

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“Elections are yet to take place, but I have invitations for July, August, September. What does this mean? This means that nations across the world are convinced of BJP’s return to power… Every country, every power of the world knows aayega toh Modi hi (Modi will return to power),” the PM said in his valedictory remarks, marking the conclusion of the BJP’s two-day National Council meeting, which passed three resolutions — Viksit Bharat, Modi’s Guarantee; Ram Mandir; and BJP: Nation’s hope, Opposition’s despair.

Exhorting cheering cadres to consider it their duty to "protect the country and its people from dynastic, corrupt and casteist Congress", the PM asked them to reach every new voter, every government scheme beneficiary and people across all faiths and regions over the next 100 days. "Take to them the message of Modi's guarantee of a developed India by 2047," he said.

The PM spoke of India's glory as his singular life mission and declared, “I am seeking a third BJP term not to enjoy the spoils of power for myself, but to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat.”

"We are people dedicated to the nation, not self. I am not seeking the third BJP term for enjoying spoils of power. I am a man on a mission for the nation. Had I worried about my house, I would not have been able to build houses for crores of poor," PM Modi said, describing the NDA's 10-year rule as a period of "bold, far reaching decisions that settled centuries' old disputes, including Ram Mandir in Ayodhya".

The PM, however, added what had been achieved was only a milestone in a long journey. “In my third term, India will be the third largest global economy and that is Modi's guarantee. What that means is India's economic and cultural capacity will expand multi-fold, creating better living opportunities for its people,” he said.Among his achievements through the first two terms (2014 to 2024), the PM termed democratisation of power structures, previously reserved for powerful families, as a prominent one.

Devoting most part of his hour-long address to the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’, PM Modi spent the rest of his time attacking the Congress as a force that had lost "all courage to fight ideological battles and was therefore indulging in personal attacks".

Accusing the Congress of "dividing India based on language and region", he termed "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat" as BJP's goal. "Today even Opposition leaders are raising slogans of the NDA crossing the 400-seat mark and for this to happen, the BJP must cross the milestone of 370," he said.

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