Claiming that his Government has wiped out corrupt “dalals” (middlemen or brokers), who were well-entrenched in the UPA dispensation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that in the first year, his Government has brought about systemic changes and delivered benefits directly to the poor. Addressing a mammoth rally at Mathura to mark one year of his Government, Modi listed achievements of the BJP Government and asserted that ‘achchhe din’ are here to stay for the poor. But, ‘bure din’ for those who looted the nation for years, he said, “would get worse in the days to come”.
Coming down heavily on the Congress, he said the UPA Government had allotted coal mines to their “favourites” with signature tune being “you loot, I loot” and compared it with his Government’s auction, which fetched Rs3 lakh crore. Modi said a foundation has been established where part of coal money would be spent on the tribals and poor living in locations of auctioned mines. To a cheering crowd, he asked again and again “Bure din gaye ya nahinIJ”
Giving a very sharp tongue lashing to the previous Congress Government, he said there was a complete turnaround in the mood of the country after the BJP Government was elected at the Centre. He said but for people deciding to give mandate to the BJP “ye desh doob gaya hota” and went on to cite examples of repeat scams during the Congress regime which, he said, was “remote controlled.”
In his highly interactive address, Modi constantly asked questions and insisted them to answer if he was correct. “The miracle of change, new confidence and new enthusiasm — who brought themIJ” he asked and chose to answer himself “you did it!” The Prime Minister went on to ask the audience “desh ke haal bure the ya nahin UPA ke dinoin meinIJ” “Neta jail jate the ya nahinIJ” he again asked them and reminded them of “the scams” of Coal, Commonwealth Games and others. Before reaching the rally ground, Modi visited the birthplace of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and paid his respects to him.
Addressing the first of BJP’s 200 big rallies on NDA’s first anniversary, Modi said lord Krishna, who was born in Mathura, gave mantra of “karma”. Similarly, he said, Upadhyaya also believed in the motto of “Ruko nahin, thako nahin aur chalte raho”. Modi said Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar lohia and Upadhyaya who impacted country’s thinking in the last century had one thing in common — “poor, farmer and village” were at the centre of their philosophy.
Modi reached the rally venue in a chopper and escorted to the dais by senior BJP leaders — BJP State president laxmikant Bajpai, State-in-charge OP Mathur, organising general secretary Ram lal and BJP MP from Mathura Hema Malini. In his over one-hour long speech, the Prime Minister announced that his Government “is dedicated to the poor” and constantly reaching out to their doorsteps through new welfare initiatives and policies and mentioned the PM’s social security and life insurance schemes and direct delivery of subsidies in the bank accounts. He said his Government has ended “lPG theft” in the last one year.
The Prime Minister said earlier 32 lakh people were receiving a pension of not more than Rs200 per month but now they will get Rs1,000 monthly pension. Similarly, he said for the benefit of farmers urea production has been streamlined (all fertiliser factories to get gas at same price) and its production increased by 20 lakh tonne with the Government saving net Rs4,000 crore in the import bill. The Prime Minister said his Government is providing “Neem-coated urea” to stop its theft which was otherwise reaching the factories of rich people.
The Prime Minister said his Government was ensuring toilets for women in villages and “pakka housing” for all by 2022 when country completes 75 years of Independence. Besides, he said the Government would give loans in the range of Rs1,000 to Rs10 lakh to 12 crore people engaged in small-scale jobs through ‘Mudra Bank’. Modi said working on major infrastructure projects have been smoothened with no intra-ministerial wrangling like those previously bedeviling Rail and road projects.