The Chief Minister asked the party workers to make a determined effort to uproot the Congress, which has been plagued by policy paralysis. He affirmed, “We may not shine in newspapers or on television but we must shine in the hearts of the people. We need to make this nation free of the Congress. Our motto must be- Congress Mukt Bharat Ka Nirman…we must start from where Atal ji left things.” Recalling the time of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shri Modi said that during the first three years of the last decade, a new faith was created among the people and there was a spirit of positivity. ‘However, after 2004 the ship continued to sink,” he declared, adding that the BJP has to save the nation from this.
During his speech, he came down heavily on the Congress for the brazen corruption. He described the Congress as being corruption proof and asked why there are so many allegations against the Centre? Taking a dig at the massive Bharat Nirman media campaign, Shri Modi said, “They are spending crores on advertisements. But instead of Bharat Nirman- Haq Hai Mera, people are saying, Bharat Nirman- Shaq Hai Mera!” Likewise, he recalled that when the Prime Minister called for the meeting on internal security, he started his speech by paying homage to the leaders who died in the gruesome attack in Chhattisgarh but when Shri Modi began his speech, he also paid homage to the policemen who died in the attack, the two soldiers who were beheaded by Pakistan and the fishermen of Kerala who were killed by the Italian marines. He added, “What I said that day, shouldn’t the PM have thought about and said?”
He described the Congress as a party steeped in opportunistic politics and attacked the Centre for destroying the federal structure of the nation. Shri Modi affirmed, “When Opposition Governments were being formed, particularly after 1967, Article 356 was misused. Opposition Governments were not allowed to fulfill their five-year terms. They also tried to break parties. They did not let Governments last and turned Raj Bhawans into Congress Bhawans,” and added, “Now when Article 356 becomes difficult they are misusing the CBI. This just shows their lack of faith in democracy.”
Giving more examples of institutional destruction under the Congress, Shri Modi said, “The Head of the Planning Commission is the Prime Minister. It is also a bridge between the Centre and the states. But the Centre disrespected that body too. Who would have imagined there would be an NAC over a Planning Commission? And who heads the NAC?” He went on to point out that while the Prime Minister speaks about eradicating the menace of Maoism, the NAC and Planning Commission have individuals who are either very closely associated with Maoist activity or their NGOs have those associated with the Maoists. He also shared that when Mr. GK Pillai was the Home Secretary there was a plan to fight Maoists but Shri Modi asked who were the forces who scuttled this plan?
Shri Modi remembered the special place Goa has in his life. He said, “Goa has a very special place for me. Newspapers are writing Goa is lucky for Modi but it is not about Modi’s luck. This is the same Goa that allowed me to continue to serve in Gujarat in 2002. When I got blessings of Goa, I was able to scale new heights. So, I am sure these blessings will allow me to work even better.”
Earlier, Goa Chief Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar, Goa Deputy Chief Minister Shri Francis D’Souza spoke and praised Shri Modi for his development. Shri Modi also praised the work of Shri Parrikar in Goa.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Shri Arun Jaitley took on the UPA on various issues and also talked about the corruption under UPA. BJP President Shri Rajnath Singh showered praise on Shri Modi, described him as the most popular leader. He also highlighted the development of the Vajpayee Governments, comparing it with the decline in the development ever since the UPA took power. BJP Vice President Smt. Smriti Irani, General Secretary Shri Ananth Kumar and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
