Nation First is our only goal: Modi

New Delhi, July 03, 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address to Parliament in the Lok Sabha today.

Addressing the House, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude towards the President’s Address and highlighted the idea of Viksit Bharat which was the focal point of the address. He underlined that the President of India raised important issues in her address and also thanked her for her guidance.

As many members shared their thoughts over the President’s address, yesterday and today, Modi especially thanked the first-time Members of Parliament who shared their thoughts on the President’s address by respecting the rules of the House. He remarked that their demeanor was no less than any seasoned Member of Parliament and their thoughts have further enriched the merit of this debate.

Thanking the electorate for choosing the government by exercising their franchise in the world’s largest election, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the citizens of India for electing the present government for the third time in a row and termed it a moment of pride in the democratic world.  He underlined that the government’s efforts for the past 10 years were the deciding factor for the voters and highlighted the government’s commitment to serving the citizens with the belief of ‘Jan Seva hi Prabhu Seva’, i.e. Service to humanity is service to God. He mentioned that more than 25 crore poor have been lifted out of poverty in such a short span for the first time since independence. 

Reiterating the stand of Zero Tolerance for corruption after 2014, the Prime Minister said that the electorates of the country brought them to power again. “Today India’s reputation has improved across the world. Every Indian now feels proud.” Modi stated that each of his government’s policies, decisions and work prioritize India. Throwing light on the growing presence of India on the global stage, the Prime Minister said that the outlook of the world towards the nation has transformed and it instills pride in every citizen. Prime Minister Modi emphasized the sole aim of ‘Nation First’ which is reflected in the policies and decisions of the government. With this belief, the Prime Minister said that the government has continued the process of reforms throughout the nation. He said that in the last 10 years, the government has strived to serve the people with the mantra of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas and the principles of’ Sarv Panth Sambhav’, which means all religions are equal.

Modi remarked that India had seen the appeasement politics and governance model of appeasement for a long time now. The Prime Minister highlighted that for the first time in India, his Government worked towards secularism with satisfaction and confirmation of the people. He underlined that satisfaction for him meant achieving saturation in various policies of the Government and accomplishing their resolve of ensuring service delivery to the last person of India. Modi added that this philosophy of saturation for him, in the true sense meant social justice and secularism, and has been approved by the people of India in the form of the third consecutive term.

The Prime Minister noted that this election has once again proved the maturity and idealism of the people of India. “People have shown trust in our policies, intentions and commitment”, the Prime Minister emphasized. He said that the people have endorsed the resolution of Viksit Bharat in this election.  

Underlining the importance of a developed nation, the Prime Minister said that the dreams of every citizen of the country are fulfilled when it progresses, while simultaneously laying the foundation for fulfilling the aspirations of the future generations as well. The Prime Minister emphasized that the people of India deserve to reap the benefits of a developed India which the previous generations have always longed for. He said that the creation of Viksit Bharat would drastically improve the living conditions and the quality of life in the villages and cities of India while also instilling a feeling of pride among the people and creating numerous opportunities for them. “India’s cities will participate equally with other developed cities of the world”, he assured.

The Prime Minister said that Viksit Bharat refers to the availability of multiple and equal opportunities for each citizen of the country. It ensures growth for everyone based on skills, resources and potential. 

Prime Minister Modi assured the citizens of India that the government will make all possible efforts to realize the ideal of Viksit Bharat in earnest and honesty. “Every moment of time and every cell of our bodies is dedicated to the idea of creating a Viksit Bharat”, he emphasized, “24 by 7 for 2047.” 

The Prime Minister recalled the period before 2014 when the entire nation was in a state of despair. Terming the loss of confidence among the citizens as the biggest loss to the nation during the period, the Prime Minister said that it created a cloud of disappointment. He recalled that it was an era marred by scams and policy paralysis pushing the country into the list of fragile five economies. Common citizens had lost all hope, he said, adding that bribery was a common practice, be it for house, gas connection or to receive grains through the Public Distribution system. 

The Prime Minister said that the citizens of the country were forced to go about their everyday life blaming their fate for the poor condition of the state before 2014. “They chose us, ushering in a moment of change”, he added.  

The Prime Minister highlighted the government’s efforts in transforming those who once thought that nothing was possible into believing that everything is possible. Listing down the government’s achievements, the Prime Minister mentioned a successful 5G rollout, highest coal production, transformative policies to strengthen the nation’s banking system, zero tolerance policy for terrorism and abrogation of Article 370. “As the walls of Article 370 have been demolished, democracy is strengthening”, he added, noting the record voter turnouts in the recently concluded general elections.

“The belief, expectations and trust of 140 crore citizens become a driving force for development”, the Prime Minister said. This belief, the Prime Minister said, symbolizes accomplishment by determination. 

Modi remarked that citizens were as excited and confident today, as they were during our freedom struggle, to make India a developed nation. Hailing the progress of the country in the last 10 years, the Prime Minister said, “Today Bharat needs to compete with itself. We have to break our old records and take the country to the next level.” PM Modi continued that the path of development that India has taken in the last decade has now become a benchmark. He expressed confidence that the country will progress at a faster pace, saying, “We will take every sector to the next level.” 

He highlighted that in the last 10 years, India grew from the 10th largest to the 5th largest economy in the world, while expressing confidence that India will soon be the 3rd largest economy in the world. Underlining that India has now become one of the largest mobile manufacturers and exporters in the world, Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that the nation would scale similar heights in the field of semiconductors in the government’s third term. 

The Prime Minister reiterated that even though the nation would conquer new milestones and reach new heights, the government will be rooted in the service of the common citizens. He touched upon the 4 crore pucca houses that were handed to the poor and informed that 3 crore new houses will be built in the coming times. Referring to the rise of women’s self-help groups, the Prime Minister informed about the government’s plan of action to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis. The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to working at three times the speed and effort in its third term and also producing three times the result. 

The Prime Minister said that a government coming to power for the third time in a row after 60 years signifies the efforts of the government and the trust created by it among the citizens. “Such feats are not achieved by petty politics but by the blessings of the citizens”, PM said, adding that the people have chosen stability and continuity. 

The Prime Minister also lauded the people’s mandate in the legislative assembly elections held in the four states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and also mentioned massive victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh in the Lok Sabha elections. He also touched upon the increasing vote share in multiple states across the nation. “Janta Janardan is by our side”, he added. 

Reflecting on the recent Lok Sabha election results, the Prime Minister urged the opposition to accept the mandate of the people with humility and understand the people’s message. He said that the people have chosen the path of development and are determined to realize the goal of Viksit Bharat. Noting that India must collectively embark on a new journey of development, the Prime Minister asked the citizens of India to remain vigilant against those choosing the path of chaos, lawlessness and divisive politics. He also warned against the unsuitable economic policies that tend to push the nation towards economic chaos and the spread of misinformation in the country. The Prime Minister also urged the opposition through the Speaker to maintain the decorum and dignity of the august House and also suggested the Speaker take corrective measures so that the sanctity of the House remains unperturbed. 

Speaking about the era of Emergency, the Prime Minister said that those ruling the nation had created a dictatorial atmosphere in the country causing widespread cruelty to the citizens and injustice to the nation. He also recalled the time when Baba Saheb Ambedkar resigned from the Cabinet citing his resentment towards the then government’s lack of action to protect the rights of backward classes and scheduled castes as promised in the new Indian constitution. He also highlighted the atrocities caused to other prominent leaders such as Jagjivan Ram ji, Chaudhary Charan Singh ji and Sitaram Kesri ji.   

Quoting philosopher Swami Vivekanand’s Chicago speech, the Prime Minister said that he takes pride in belonging to a religion that has taught intolerance and universal acceptance to the world. He held that Bharat’s democracy and diversity have flourished only because of tolerance and the spirit of unity of the Hindu community. He also expressed concern that today, the Hindu community is being falsely accused and conspired against.

Hailing the valor and strength of the armed forces of India, Modi highlighted that there were a host of reforms undertaken in the defence sector in the last 10 years and mentioned modernizing and equipping India’s armed forces to take on every challenge. He stressed that the government is making all efforts for the armed forces to be battle-ready, keeping in mind the motive of national security. Underlining the importance of setting up a theatre command, the PM expressed satisfaction that work is being done in the direction of establishing this long overdue military organizational structure after the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

The Prime Minister highlighted that important reforms are being undertaken to make our armed forces self-reliant in Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He stressed that the armed forces should be young and there is a need to increase the number of youngsters in our forces. Modi underlined that national security is a serious matter and the Government is undertaking timely reforms to make the armed forces ‘battle-worthy’. 

Modi noted that there is an enormous change in the landscape of warfare, be it the weapons or technique and hence, there is a huge responsibility on the government to strengthen our forces to tackle such emerging challenges despite false allegations and accusations. He pointed out that various corruption scandals had stalled the strengthening of the capabilities of the armed forces. 

The Prime Minister highlighted that his Government in the past had implemented the “One Rank, One Pension” scheme which was stalled for a long time. He added that despite the difficulties of Covid pandemic, his government had granted 1.2 lakh crore rupees for the implementation of OROP scheme.

Expressing concern over the recent paper leaks, the Prime Minister assured the youth of the country that his government is extremely serious about preventing such incidents in the future and is working on a war footing to fulfill its responsibilities towards them and the nation. He said several arrests have been made across the country in concern to the NEET-UG paper leak incident. He said, “The Central government has already introduced a strict law. Necessary steps are being taken to strengthen the entire screening system.”

“Development has been the government’s biggest resolution in the past 10 years”, the Prime  Minister said. He highlighted the resolutions of making India the third-largest economy in the world, supplying clean drinking water to every household, providing pucca homes to every poor, strengthening the armed forces by making them self-reliant, boosting the renewable energy space in the country, making India a green hydrogen hub, modernizing infrastructure development, creating new employment and self-employment opportunities in developed India, empowering skill development and shaping the future of the youth. Referring to a recent study, the Prime Minister informed that job creation has seen record numbers in the private industry in the last 18 years. 

Applauding the Digital India movement, the Prime Minister said Bharat stands as a shining example of a digital payment system in the world. Referring to the G20 Summit, he underlined that even the developed countries of the world are amazed by our digital movement.

The Prime Minister observed the growth of competition and challenges with India’s progress and warned against those who look at the nation’s progress as a challenge while inflicting harm on India’s democracy, demography and diversity. Quoting a judgement by the Supreme Court of India, the Prime Minister said, “It seems that a strong effort is being made to undermine India’s progress by creating doubt and weakening its foundations in every endeavor. Such efforts must be culled from the source.” He stressed the need for serious deliberations by the entire House on the observations made by the Supreme Court of India and also urged the citizens to remain vigilant of such forces. “India will never tolerate anti-national conspiracies”, PM Modi added

He reiterated that the world is treating India’s progress with extreme seriousness while also noticing all the intricacies. He stressed the need for the contributions of each Member of the House to accomplish the resolutions and create a developed India. He urged the Members to come forward with the belief in national welfare. “We must walk shoulder to shoulder and fulfill the dreams and expectations of the citizens”, he emphasized. He also stressed the importance of positive politics in the present era. “Let us compete on good governance, delivery and fulfilling the expectations of the people”, he added. 

During the speech, the Prime Minister also condoled the unfortunate deaths of victims in a stampede accident in Hathras of Uttar Pradesh. He wished a speedy recovery for the injured in the accident. He also informed the house that the state government was actively engaged in the search and rescue operations while the senior officials of the Central Government were in constant touch with the State Government to ensure all necessary help for the victims. 

Prime Minister especially congratulated the first-time Members of Parliament and expressed confidence that they will have a lot to learn. He concluded his address by expressing his gratitude towards the President’s Address and thanked the Members for their thoughts and contributions to the Motion of Thanks.