PM Modi slams Opposition, says it has turned into avrodh paksh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the Opposition, saying it had turned into “Avrodh Paksh” (obstructive force) rather than “Virodh Paksh” (opposing group), underscoring that the country needs to stay united. Modi said the Opposition has made obstruction “a core” of its politics, while taking a veiled swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over foreign trips. In a veiled reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trips, Modi asked, “Who is secretly meeting whom in foreign countries? Forces opposed to India are extending their support to whom? Who is speaking the language of India’s enemies?”

He was addressing a gathering at the Parade Ground in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar on the occasion of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He said the nation needs to stand united against such forces and alleged that the Opposition wants to divide the people of the country.

Accusing Opposition of ripping apart the dignity and boundaries of the Constitution, Modi said: “Social media is being used as a weapon, rumours are being spread, and India’s image is being tarnished”... “It is our misfortune that the Opposition has turned into Avrodh Paksh,” Modi said.

The citizens of the country must handle this together. We have eliminated Naxalism in far-flung areas, but the threat of ‘Dimagi  Naxalism’ has not yet been averted from the nation. The country must always remain alert to these ‘Dimagi Naxals’...” PM Modi also alleged that “certain forces inside the country were busy trying to create instability by spreading lies and rumours”. “However, the citizens stood shoulder to shoulder with the nation. This is the greatest strength of this country, and it serves as the ultimate foundation for our courage,” he said.

He told the gathering that India’s next big steps include completely securing the country’s borders, stopping infiltration and demographic changes, and moving towards a secular civil code. “‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Best India) and ‘Vikshit Bharat’ are our two goals,” Modi said. The country is proceeding on the path shown by Sardar Patel, he said.

Earlier, Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth over 400 crore rupees at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat. The projects include a sewage and water treatment plant, façade lighting, the upgradation of Narmada Ghat and the Rainforest, among others.

On the second and final day of his visit to Gujarat, Modi paid floral tributes to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar. Marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, celebrated across the country as National Unity Day, the Prime Minister led the celebrations. In a spectacular aerial tribute, Indian Air Force helicopters showered flower petals over the world’s tallest statue.