There is a need to change the status quo-ist mindset for the progress of the country: Shri Modi while unfurling Tricolour at Lalan College, Bhuj

"After the British, India should shun nepotism, power-pride, scams, inflation, old mind sets, mistrust: Narendra Modi"

"As we breathe in the air of freedom we remember those who who devoted their lives for our Freedom: Narendra Modi"

"Great men and women spent their youth in the prisons and went to the gallows: Shri Modi"

"We may have attained freedom but not escaped mental slavery. Status quo-ist mindset must go to grow: Shri Modi"

"Hoped as a common man that PM’s speech would give a new message, but was disappointed: Narendra Modi"

"Should'nt we remember Sardar Patel & Shastriji too, instead of just one family from RedFort: CM "

"PM raised same issues like Nehruji did 60 years ago while unfurling the Tricolour: Narendra Modi"

"UPA's Food Security Bill is like serving salt & acid on plates of poor instead of food: CM"

Watch Full Independence Day Programme at Lalan College, Bhuj here

Addressing the state level Independence Day Celebrations at the Lalan College grounds in Bhuj, Kutch, Shri Narendra Modi said that Gujarat’s Mantra has always been ‘Gujarat’s growth for India’s growth.’ He pointed that the credit for the development of Gujarat goes to the 6.5 crore people of Gujarat. Shri Modi spoke about the need to create ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.’ The Chief Minister unfurled the Tricolour in the presence of the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police and other senior officials. This was followed by the singing of the National Anthem. Shri Modi declared that like India was freed from the British, it needs to become free from nepotism, arrogance stemming from power, corruption, price rise, obsolete mindset and this atmosphere of mistrust. “The country is in poverty and needs a Nayi Soch,” observed the CM.

The Chief Minister extended his warm Independence Day greetings to the people of India. Paying tributes to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nation Shri Modi said, “As we breathe in the air of freedom we remember those great men and women who devoted their lives to give us Freedom. They spent their youth in the prisons and went to the gallows.” He remarked that there were two different strands during the freedom struggle, one of non-violence and the other of revolutionary nationalism and both have very close links with the soil of Gujarat as it is home to Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel (who led the non violent struggle) as well as Shyamji Krishna Varma (who inspired the revolutionary nationalists). Shri Modi affirmed that while we may have attained freedom, we have still not emerged out of the mental slavery and that is a need to change the status quo-ist mindset for the progress of the country.

Shri Narendra Modi said that he heard the speech of the Prime Minister earlier today as a common citizen with a hope that it would give a new message but described the speech as extremely disappointing. Referring to Honourable President Shri Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the nation last evening, Shri Modi opined that the Honourable President raised several important issues but the Prime Minister did not answer them. “Rashtrapati ji said there is a limit to patience with Pakistan. This was a big indication. I was expecting the PM to say something about it but we could not hear anything about it from the PM. I do not say the Red Fort is a place to challenge Pakistan but surely it is a place to raise the morale of our Armed Forces. Today our security is under threat but we watch silently.” Elaborating further on his point, Shri Modi said, “The Honourable President spoke about corruption. It would have been good if something on corruption would have been said by the PM. Why is there no fight against corruption? People want answers. Earlier people used to say ‘Bhai Bhatijawad’ then came ‘Mama Bhanja’ but now it is ‘Saans, Bahu and Damad.” Shri Modi avowed that the points raised by the President are a matter of both Chinta (worry) and Chintan (introspection) and that both must come from the top.

Shri Modi came down heavily on the PM for not being able to rise to the occasion to remember the greats of India in his address. Instead, Shri Modi declared that the Prime Minister was immersed in the Bhakti of only one family. Shri Modi said, “You are the Prime Minister of the nation. Many Governments have worked for it. But from Red Fort you only remember one family. Would it not be better if you remembered Sardar Patel as well? Lal Bahadur Shastri ji, who coined the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan was a PM of your own party, you could have remembered him. These greats gave their lives to the Congress” Likewise, Shri Modi pointed that while the Prime Minister spoke about the efforts of the Centre for relief in Uttarakhand, he did not talk about the efforts of the people of India and the contribution of every state towards relief for Uttarakhand. Attacking the lack of vision in the speech of the PM, Shri Modi affirmed, “You unfurled the Tricolour so many times but the issue you raised were the same as Pandit Nehru sixty years ago. So what has changed? What have you given?”

On the economy front, the Chief Minister opined that the Rupee is falling but the Prime Minister did not say anything about this in his speech from the Red Fort. On the proposed Food Security Bill, Shri Modi said that he listed some of the deficiencies in Bill in a letter to the Prime Minister but the Prime Minister did not even speak on that. Shri Modi stated that he is not opposed to the Bill but said that the Bill being brought by the UPA is like putting salt and acid on the plates of the poor instead of serving them food. He shared that in Gujarat the poor get 35 kg grains but after the Food Security Bill it will be 25 kg, making him wonder is this filling plates or emptying them. Referring to the pessimistic atmosphere in the nation, Shri Modi said, “Yeh faasle janta ko naye faisle lene ke liye majboor karegi.”

Shri Modi recalled that there was the 20 Point Programme going on from the time of Mrs. Indira Gandhi but when the Centre realized that that the top performing states are NDA ruled states, they stopped ranking the states instead of taking corrective measures. He also observed that when the NDA was in power under the leadership of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shri LK Advani, the world saw India as an emerging superpower but that momentum ended after the UPA assumed office. Shri Modi attacked the ruling party for the constant disruptions in Parliament as well. He said that there could be shortcomings in everything but never in thought. Similarly, the speech could be less but the targets cannot.

The Chief Minister spoke elaborately on the development of Gujarat. He said that the development of Gujarat stands equally on the three pillars of agriculture, industry and services sector. He shared that Gujarat has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. He talked about the creation of the seven new districts and expressed confidence that the districts would development very fast in the times to come.