Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Governor of Rajasthan Shri Haribhau Bagde ji, the popular Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari ji, Premchand Bairwa ji, all ministers of the Rajasthan government, MPs and MLAs, and my dear brothers and sisters,
I have been told that today in Rajasthan, at 10–12 thousand locations, lakhs of people have gathered for this program. Even now, as I look at the screens, everywhere I see only people, people, and more people. Through technology, my brothers and sisters from every corner of Rajasthan are connected here, and I bow to them all.
Friends,
In this scorching summer, such massive gatherings across so many places, blessing us with your presence, show how strong your faith is in the efforts of the BJP government. I am indebted to the soil of Rajasthan for this support and affection.
Brothers and sisters,
This land has witnessed the valor of countless heroes. Every grain of this battlefield has taught us to keep self-respect above all. And self-respect-whether of an individual or of a nation - can remain high only when it is self-reliant, when it depends as little as possible on others. Today, from the soil of Rajasthan, India has taken a major step towards becoming developed and self-reliant. Today, this refinery has been dedicated to the nation. This refinery will provide employment to thousands of people here. I especially congratulate the youth of Rajasthan on this refinery.
Friends,
Today bears witness that BJP governments do not stop at laying foundation stones; we work day and night to complete projects. Just two months ago, after the accident here, the speed with which the work was completed is an example of extraordinary effort. You have shown that no matter how big or unexpected the challenge, New India neither retreats from its resolve nor slows its pace.
Brothers and sisters,
Today, many other milestones of development are being established in Rajasthan. Today itself, the new airport terminal in Jodhpur has been inaugurated. I saw on social media that the architecture and interiors of the new terminal are trending everywhere - Rajasthan is visible all around.
Friends,
This will give new momentum to tourism, trade, and employment in Marwar. I especially greet those connected with Jodhpur. From Jodhpur itself, a new phase of the UDAN scheme has also begun today. Under this, small towns and remote areas will be connected through air connectivity. Alongside this, Jaipur’s metro is also going to be expanded.
Brothers and sisters,
The long wait to resolve the water crisis in the Shekhawati region is also coming to an end. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to my brothers and sisters of Rajasthan for all these projects.
Friends,
Today, nearly 54,000 youth in Rajasthan have also received appointment letters for government jobs. I wish all of them a bright future. Their youthful energy will further strengthen the bright future of Rajasthan.
Friends,
From this soil of Rajasthan, I also want to speak about another strength of our nation. You can see how the war in West Asia has created turmoil across the world. Every country is distressed. This war has triggered the biggest energy crisis of the 21st century. Major nations are struggling with fuel shortages.
But friends,
Against the biggest energy crisis of the 21st century, the willpower and efforts of New India in the 21st century have prevailed. India took the right decisions at every level, assessed the crisis in time, devised effective strategies, used resources in a balanced way, and positively leveraged its diplomatic power. That is how India overcame the crisis.
Friends,
While some forces were busy spreading rumors and fear publicly, behind the scenes, immense work was being done day and night. The patience, the effort, the sensitive steps taken at the policy and diplomatic levels - history will one day record them as unprecedented. Let me give one example: LPG, or cooking gas. We all know that about 60 percent of our LPG needs were imported, and 90 percent of that came from Gulf countries through the Strait of Hormuz. Suddenly, the war conditions nearly stopped that supply. You can imagine the chaos that could have erupted in our country. But Rajasthan’s soil has taught us to challenge challenges. That is why, as soon as the crisis began, we focused on the capacity of refineries. Industrial-use gas production was redirected to produce LPG. Within just seven days, LPG production increased - from 35,000 metric tons earlier to 54,000 metric tons during the crisis. Refineries that had never produced LPG before were configured to do so.
Friends,
To ensure the entire demand load did not fall only on LPG, the government also expanded PNG connections - piped natural gas for kitchens. In a very short time, India connected more than 11 lakh households to PNG.
Brothers and sisters,
On one hand, we ensured supply. On the other, we did not let domestic consumers bear too heavy a burden. In those conditions, the price of a domestic gas cylinder could have gone up to ₹2,000 - that was the estimate of major market experts. But even now, domestic LPG cylinders are being provided for less than ₹950. For the poor, Ujjwala cylinders cost less than ₹650. Just two days ago, the government also made a major cut in commercial gas prices. This shows how sensitively our government is working.
Friends,
The war also created a major crisis for diesel and petrol. Our country does not have large oil wells. When the crisis deepened, crude oil prices rose from $70 per barrel to $120 per barrel. Import routes were blocked. In many countries, diesel and petrol prices increased by 40 to 50 percent. In some countries, fuel was even rationed. But in India, not for a single day did such conditions arise. Rumors were spread, people were frightened, politics was played, but those with wrong intentions did not succeed. Even in remote areas, apart from minor hurdles, there was no major supply challenge. Between April and June alone, oil companies bore losses of more than ₹75,000 crore in diesel and petrol. That is equivalent to the cost of building a new refinery. The government treasury bore this burden. We also reduced excise duty by ₹10 per liter, ensuring that the public did not face excessive strain.
Friends,
During this time of war, India’s friendships with other countries proved invaluable. Before the crisis, India imported fuel and energy from about 25–26 countries. But during the crisis, India’s diplomacy shone. Our strong relations with other nations helped us greatly. India began importing fuel from more than 40 countries. India sent a clear message to the world: for us, national interest and the welfare of our citizens are paramount. Nagrik Devo Bhava - this is our mantra.
Friends,
The nation did not overcome such an unexpected challenge by chance. Behind it lies the success of farsighted policies pursued for over a decade. Today, we are inaugurating the Rajasthan Refinery. We signed the MoU for this in 2017. But from 2018 to 2023, Rajasthan had a Congress government. Due to their non-cooperation, the work here was nearly stalled. But once the double-engine government came, the work progressed rapidly, and today we are dedicating it to the nation. You know my style of working - the projects we lay the foundation for, we also inaugurate. In this way, India has continuously expanded its refinery capacity. In the United States, not a single new refinery has been built in the past 50 years. Europe’s refinery capacity has steadily declined. Meanwhile, India has become the fourth-largest refining nation in the world. And we will not stop here - in the coming years, this capacity will increase further. These efforts enabled India to fight and overcome the greatest energy crisis of the century.
Friends,
Wars and unrest around the world also create challenges for our farmers. The current West Asia crisis, the Gulf crisis, and earlier the Ukraine war all triggered a fertilizer shortage globally. After the Ukraine war, the price of a bag of urea rose above ₹3,000. But we continued to provide urea to our farmers at only ₹300 per bag. For this, the government spent lakhs of crores from the treasury, giving subsidies. Supply chains were disrupted, but India found solutions. The government explored alternative routes. Our embassies in many countries were given special responsibility to procure fertilizers. Alongside imports, we increased domestic production. We also promoted alternatives like natural farming. And we acted firmly against hoarding and black marketing.
Friends,
Similarly, we took care of our industries and MSMEs. MSMEs were facing rising costs. Therefore, we introduced a new phase of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme. Under this scheme, banks provided MSMEs with up to 20 percent additional loans, and the government gave 100 percent guarantee for these loans - and this is Modi’s guarantee. This greatly benefited small industries and cottage industries. As a result of such decisions, today our small and large industries feel secure.
Friends,
Our government has continuously taken decisions because we had faith in India’s strength. We had complete trust in the capabilities and wisdom of our citizens. Today, I express my gratitude to 1.4 billion Indians. I bow to the people of the nation for standing firmly with the country during difficult times, for resisting rumors, fear, and confusion, for defeating conspiracies to spread instability. It is this trust that has carried the nation forward. Those who wished to see India fail, who even made predictions of failure, must today be drowning in despair.
Friends,
Alongside the inauguration and foundation-laying of development projects, I also had the privilege of planting a khejri sapling in the name of Mother. I know how significant khejri is in Rajasthan. It has played a vital role in stopping the spread of the desert. This tree plantation is also an example of our work culture. We must reach new heights of progress while also protecting our environment. With this vision, our government is working on alternative sources of energy. Especially here in Rajasthan, blessed by the Sun God, world-class solar parks are being developed. Under the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme, more than 150,000 homes in Rajasthan have already been connected to solar power. Under the PM Kusum Scheme, more than 65,000 solar pumps have been provided to farmers in Rajasthan.
Friends,
Even the toughest resolutions can be fulfilled if the intent behind them is clear. This is the big difference between the BJP and Congress.
Friends,
Solving Rajasthan’s water problems is another major example. You all know that Congress governments never took concrete steps to resolve Rajasthan’s water crisis. But BJP does not practice divisive politics. BJP works with the spirit of Nation First. When we worked on water projects in Gujarat and the question arose of sharing water with Rajasthan, I clearly remember - across India, states have fought for decades over water. People in Rajasthan wondered whether Gujarat would share Narmada water. But it was our good fortune that BJP was in government both in Rajasthan and Gujarat. At that time, I was Chief Minister in Gujarat, and here, sister Vasundhara ji was Chief Minister. Together, without conflict, without disputes, without agitation, without fights, we shared Narmada’s water with Rajasthan. Today, many villages in Rajasthan are receiving water from Mother Narmada. Just now, Bhajanlal ji spoke emotionally about this achievement.
Brothers and sisters,
Now, with BJP governments in both Rajasthan and Haryana, for the first time solutions have been reached through mutual agreement. Rajasthan and Haryana will together bring water to Shekhawati. Recently, an agreement has been signed. Under this, water will be brought from Hathnikund Barrage to Rajasthan through underground pipelines. This will benefit lakhs of people in Sikar, Churu, Jhunjhunu, and the entire Shekhawati region. About ₹34,000 crore will be spent on this project.
Friends,
In the future, once the Renuka, Lakhwar, and Kishau dams are completed in the Upper Yamuna Basin, Rajasthan will benefit further. The work of providing tap water to villages has also advanced rapidly. The Ramjal Setu project is a result of this vision. Alongside this, Rajasthan is playing a major role in the “Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari” campaign. Under this, nearly 2.5 million soak pits have been built across the country. In Rajasthan alone, more than 125,000 soak pits have been constructed. These are conserving water and improving groundwater levels. I congratulate the BJP governments at the Center and in the state, and the people of Shekhawati, for these efforts.
Friends,
Today, whenever the nation takes a resolution or sets a goal, Rajasthan is at its center. Modern infrastructure is being built here at great speed. New records are being set. Today, the foundation stone of Jaipur Metro Phase–2 and the inauguration of Jodhpur Airport’s new terminal will further accelerate Rajasthan’s development and give it new wings. Once Jaipur Metro Phase–2 is completed, Jaipur’s total metro network will exceed 50 kilometers. The east-west and north-south metro networks will be interconnected. This will not only make life easier for local residents but also provide greater convenience for tourists.
Friends,
In the coming times, we must reach new dimensions of development. I am confident that you will continue to bless the double-engine government in this way. Together, we will build a new future for Rajasthan. With this faith, I once again congratulate the people of Rajasthan and the nation for the refinery and other development works. Say with me -
Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Raise both fists high to show Rajasthan’s strength -
Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Thank you very much.
