- UPA without a leader, policy and honesty to govern
- Government promised prices would come down in 100 days, what happened?
- Congress best at promises not performance
- UPA taking away powers from the states when it is miserably failing in the issues that are under its own control
- There was a time when Gujarat would be under the grip of famine for 7 years out of 10; 10 years have passed now and there has been no trace of famine since then
Honourable Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed a rally on May 25th at BJP National executive meet held in Mumbai. You can view the details of the event here.
Warm greetings to those present on the dais! Respected national BJP president Shri Nitin Gadkariji, Shri Arun Jaitleyji, senior leader Shri Rajnath Singhji, Rajya Sabha members, Deputy leader of Lok Sabha Shri Gopinathji, chief minister Shri Shivrajji, chief minister Dr. Raman Singhji and people of Mumbai— My salutations to all!
Maharashtra is going through a rough phase currently and I have sympathy for the people of Maharashtra. Friends! There was a time when Gujarat would be under the grip of famine for 7 years out of 10and the reason was a large part of our land was barren and arid, almost like a desert! There was another reason—desert (registan) on one side and Pakistan on the other side of the state. Ten years have passed and there has been no trace of famine since then. The credit goes to water-management.
Brothers and sisters! I say with confidence that had there been NDA government in New Delhi under Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji’sleadershipand the work of uniting all the rivers of India been accomplished, Maharashtra wouldn’t be facing a famine like situation today. Farmers of Maharashtra wouldn’t have to fight famine and think of committing suicide. Shri Atalji had dreamt of bringing together the rivers of this country, but the moment UPA government came into power, his dreamwas shattered.The result today is that some states are facing famine. Maharashtra is going through a big crisis and the reason is the kind of government that rules New Delhi. It doesn’t have any great leader or a policy worth making a mention anywhere. So if the party in power doesn’t have such virtues, a nation has to suffer a lot.
Friends! Nowadays Nirmal Baba finds a mention in every other discussion. People talk about Nirmal Baba, but the government in New Delhi houses many such Nirmal Babas. Nirmal Baba’s government in Delhi says vote for us and we will control the inflation. There is a case filed against Nirmal Baba. I have come here to file a case in the people’s court against the government in New Delhi. Just as Nirmal Baba is misleadingthe people, the government in New Delhi too is misleading the innocent people.
So, brothers and sisters! There is an urgent need to know and identify such Nirmal Babas. Presently there is only one Nirmal Baba, but there you will find thousands. Recently the Prime Minister celebrated the completion of three years of his government and presented a report of 120 pages. Friends! You might have heard the Prime Minister speaking about these two things quite often– one, Naxalism is the biggest problem our country is facing today. These are Dr. Manmohan Singhji’s words. However, in the entire report nowhere has he mentioned a single word about what his government did to tackle the problem and where all the government faced problems while finding the solution? The Prime Minister, even after spending three years in the government, doesn’t make a mention of the problem which according to him is the biggest nuisance for the country at present. The question arises as to what he has done in these three years’ time.
Secondly, the Prime Minister has said the Indian government should feel guilty because of the prevalence of malnutrition among its children at large. I want to ask the Prime Ministerji, what all initiatives his government has taken in these three years to resolve the issue of malnutrition. What plans the PM has made and what have the common men gained from those plans? There is no mention of this in the 120-page report. Why? The country wants to know the reason.
At times, the Prime Minister says he has some constraints because of the government alliances. I want to ask him a small question today, while standing in the people’s court. Your external affairs minister, who leads the country in the international arena, reads another country’s speech in the UN Assembly. Now please explain to me under what kind of constrain the minister was asked to read the speech? In the Centre, external affairs minister is from the Congress and defence minister too is from the Congress. After India got Independence, no government that came to power had any difference with the armed forces till date. But the government in Delhi for the past so many days is in a continuous fight with the army despite the defence minister, external affairs minister and Prime Minister being from the Congress. What kind of a constraint of alliance is this? Prime Ministerji said there is a threat to the country and the Chinese government behaves in a manner that is against the commonly accepted international norms. Despite this, the Chief of Armed Forces of India says they don’t have enough gunpowder and weapons. Prime Ministerji, here my question to you is —what kind of constraint of alliance is this for an army who doesn’t have gunpowder and modern weapons?
There are many questions and the government in Delhi has to answer them. Brothers and sisters! Shrimati Soniaji has said promises won’t work anymore and that performance is needed. I want to ask whom was she conveying this to? This indicates that all these years their government was only making false promises and not performing in reality. From Shrimati Indira Gandhiji’s days, beginning from “Garibi Hatao” (Remove Poverty), till now the Congress has only been making promises, and not delivering any performances. They have made promises and indulged in vote bank politics.
Friends! I want to share something. A 20-point programme for the welfare of the poor of this country is being implemented since 1975. None of the governments that came into power discontinued with it. Every three months, the Central government monitors states in the country that have done work towards implementation of this 20-point programme. I have been in the government for the past 10 years and friends! It gives me immense pleasure to say that first five states in implementing this 20-point programme have always been either BJP-ruled states or some NDA party-ruled state. No Congress-ruled state comes in first five in this list.
I have shared this information time and again. I have talked about it in Prime Minister’s presence in the Chief Ministers’ meet. Instead of encouraging chief ministers from the Congress party to perform better, they put a stop to the three-month monitoring and rating which the Central government used to do earlier.
Brothers and sisters, the Prime Ministerji according to his report has made achievements. The PM has said earlier the country’s agricultural growth rate was 2-2.25%. Now it is 3-3.25%. There is a rise of 1%. Prime Ministerji, what kind of report are you coming up with? Gujarat, a state that used to face famine for 7 out of 10 years, is registering an agricultural growth of 11% for the past 10 years and here is our country’s Prime Minister telling people that India has grown from 2-2.25% to 3-3.25% and which is a great achievement. Friends! You have to decide. Do you want to be with people who grow from 2.25 to 3.25%? If yes, then this country holds no future. There will not be enough food in the country and people will die of hunger. It’s just that here are some states that are working hard and because of their efforts, people are no longer starving. Government in Delhi can’t take credit for others’ work.
In the electricity field, the government said it would produce 50,000 MW of electricity. In his report, the Prime Minister proudly said the government produced 20,000 MW of electricity. I would want Prime Ministerji to tell the entire country which state has produced 20,000 MW of electricity. Does Delhi even have a 1-2% share in the electricity production? No, my friends, the answer is no. The government in New Delhi is wrongfully taking the credit for the hard work put in by other states and the Prime Minister is saying that their government has achieved this. Not only this, but coal today rules the fuel market and people are yearning for electricity that is generated from coal. Farmers need electricity. Industries need electricity. In the villages the youth need electricity to study during the night. In the villages if a mother falls sick, she needs electricity as it helps her get some temporary relief from the ailment. But Prime Ministerji, because of your outdated policies and corrupt practices adopted by people working in coal mines, the electric plants don’t get sufficient coal. This results in long hours power-cuts in the villages where it is needed the most. Now only 60% of the electric plants generate electricity. 40% remain closed. Now if at least coal and gas was made available, electricity could have been generated and the farmers would get sufficient electricity. But, just because your government doesn’t seem to be interested in adopting effective policies, the farmers have to suffer a lot.
In Delhi, the Prime Minister has for the first time acknowledged his government’s failures. The PM said the government has to work towards improving its relation with other states. This is indicative of the fact that the Central government has never till date regarded other states as their equal. Madam Jayalalithaaji said in Chief Ministers’ meeting that the government at the Centre has converted states and Chief Ministers into dumb parties and has downgraded the system’s level. I am serious when I say government in Delhi, that is UPA-II, has damaged the federal structure of the Indian Union to a great extent. The UPA II is creating trouble for other states and coming in their way of development.
The government has brought a law called NCTC under the pretext that it wants to fight terrorism. I ask Prime Ministerji to tell us why is he taking the power from the states? Why are you vesting all powers in the hands of Delhi government? Law and order is a state subject, then why is this game being played? Why are the states being rendered weak by disarming them? If you are honest and have the courage to move away from the vote bank politics, then please answer this. From where do the Naxalites and terrorists get arms and gunpowder? Are they receiving it from foreign lands or powers? The international frontiers are completely under the government’s control. Border security forces are also under the government’s control. You should take care of what is in your control and put a stop to the flow of weapons from foreign land and not let terrorists get access to it by any means. However, our Prime Ministerji doesn’t have an answer to the question.
I ask him a second question, when the PM says terrorists operate as and when they get money. It is coming from outside. The entire financel is in the control of Indian government, through the RBI and banks. Is the Prime Ministerji not capable of keeping a watch over it? The money from outside India is reaching terrorists. The states are not involved in it at all. Why don’t you stop it and what are you doing about it?
I ask Prime Ministerji another question. Intruders enter the country; indulge in activities and after carrying out mayhem, get an easy escape from the country. So answer this— if the border security is under your control; weapon safekeeping and security are under the government’s control and the navy is also under the government’s supervision, then how is it possible for intruders to cross the border and enter India. The PM should answer this as it is his responsibility to take care of the security of his people. However, it seems like our Prime Ministerji doesn’t have anything to say in this regard.
I pose another question to our PM. All the communication is under the control of the Indian government. If anybody sends an email or convey any message over phone or via any other means of communication, Indian government is able to intercept and break off the communication, if found to be detrimental to the public security. The government is able to find out what information is being sent to a foreign land or received on the Indian land. I want to ask the Prime Minister what he has done about it. In this case too, he doesn’t have any answer.
I again ask him a question. I ask our PM to please throw some light on how terrorists who have fled to other countries and those who are in foreign countries are able to indulge in destructive activities in India. We have the right to get those terrorists extradited to India. But the central government’s foreign policy is so weak that India has not been able to extradite a single terrorist from any country of the world.
I believe it is all in the hands of the government. If government at the Centre takes necessary steps, problems like terrorism will remain no more. The government should stop this game of trying to acquire illegitimate power. Brothers and sisters! The government in Delhi doesn’t have an answer to any of my questions.
If we want to safeguard the nation from activities detrimental to people’s development, then its 120-crore population has to take an oath of zero tolerance towards activities like terrorism and Naxalism. But brothers and sisters! The government in Delhi doesn’t have the courage to do so.
Friends! 50% of the people of this country are women, but the 120-page report that our Prime Ministerji has come up with, finds no mention of any developmental work done for the women’s upliftment.
Brothers and sisters! India is a country with maximum number of youngest people in the world today. If we want to compete with China and take things in our stride in the 21st century, then we have to involve the youth in developmental work and make good use of their potential. In China, the youth is being given training in developing skills and a programme on the sameis being held. The youngsters are taught over 50,000 courses there. China is attempting to capture the global commerce through development of skills in youth. I want to ask the Prime Minister what he has done for the skill development of the youth in India. Once, the Prime Minister said in a meeting that the governmentis going to start 500 skill development courses. To this, I asked him how he could lead by running just 500 courses, when China is running 50,000 courses. The PM didn’t have any answer to this. Friends! It is unfortunate that in the 120-page report there is no reference to what the Prime Ministerji has done for the skill development of the youth.
Brothers and sisters! If such a government exists in Delhi, then our dream of making India a global power and taking everything that comes in the way in our own stride in 21st century will never be fulfilled. The reason is the lack of involvement of our country’s youth in the development work.
The rise in inflation and petrol prices has already been referred to by many speakers, so I’m not once again mentioning the same. NDA announced that the entire nation is waiting to see the government take any significant step towards resolving the issue. Now is the time to see if the government respects the wishes and necessities of its people or not. However, the government in Delhi is such that it seems it has got nothing to do with the sentiments of the common man of India and will only indulge in politics. Brothers and sisters! The government seems interested in coming up with different laws one after the other. Brothers and sisters! Pilgrims earlier used to travel for 3-4 months during Amarnath Yatra. But, now the government in Delhi only gives 45 days to the pilgrims to complete their journey. This has happened when the number of pilgrims has grown from 2 lakh to 8 lakh. The government in Delhi is not capable enough to let its own people go on pilgrimage to Amarnath for as many number of days as they want.
Brothers and sisters! For how long will the country wait? Time demands that each one of us should raise voice against the government in Delhi. This government shouldn’t continue for even a single minute and the longer it stays in rule the greater the damage to the country.
Our currency rupee is fast losing its value in the international market. In a single year it has got devalued by 25%. The country wants to know – Things till November were going smooth so what happened afterwards. What kind of statements RBI and ministers at the Centre are coming up with? Why has the rupee got depreciated so fast? Is there any reason behind it? Is there some bungling of money? Or is some help being extended to players in the international market? The country knows that our Prime Ministerji has worked as an economist earlier. So no one now buys the argument that the situation has arose from a simple economic or financial problem. There is some conspiracy and the country wants to know about it.
I am raising this very important question here before the government in Delhi today. I am in the government and my job is to serve people. I know that a currency does not get depreciated like this, without any reason. In recent past, Nepal’s currency hasn’t depreciated; Bangladesh’ currency hasn’t either and even Sri Lanka’s currency for that matter hasn’t depreciated. Then how come only Indian currency is continuously depreciating so fast?
The question is posed to the Prime Ministerji. The people of the country want reply to their questions. Brothers and sisters! We are running short of time and thus I would call upon respected Shri Devji on the dais to address the audience. I am grateful to you for your love and affection.
Namaskar!
