Taking a dig at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said those who used to think that Lord Ram was imaginary and never wanted the temple to be built in Ayodhya, have also started chanting 'Jai Siya Ram'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this while addressing a public meeting in Haryana’s Rewari after inaugurating, dedicating to the nation and laying the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 9,750 crore.
Amid a huge gathering from four districts located in south-western Haryana, the Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, in his almost half an hour speech in Hindi said he knew that the people of Rewari “love him very much”.
“In 2013, when I was declared the prime ministerial candidate by the BJP, my first programme was in Rewari and Rewari blessed me with 272 plus seats. That blessing of your’s became an accomplishment. I have come to Rewari once again, so I have your blessings. This time, the NDA crosses 400,” said PM Modi, amid loud applause from the public, comprising a large number of women.
“Also at my public meeting in Rewari, I announced ‘One Rank One Pension’ guarantee and I kept that promise too.
“Seats are crucial in democracy, but for me, people's blessings are a big asset to me. In the entire world, India has reached new heights because of your blessings,” he said.
“Just a short while ago, I got the opportunity to hand over development projects worth Rs 10,000 crore to Haryana, including Rewari AIIMS, a new rail line and a metro line and a museum...The blessing of Lord Ram is such that nowadays I get the opportunity to be associated with such holy work everywhere.”
The Prime Minister said the country wished that a grand Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya.
“Today the whole country is seeing Ram Lalla sitting in the grand Ram temple. The Congress people, who used to think Lord Ram was imaginary, who never wanted Ram temple to be built, have also started chanting Jai Siya Ram.”
Taking a jibe at the Opposition, PM Modi said Congress leaders are leaving the party one by one. “Today the situation is such that even Congress workers are leaving the party. Where they are in government, even the government is not able to handle them,” he said by quoting examples of Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.
Before 2014, he said, an average of Rs 300 crore was announced in the budget for the development of Railways in Haryana. “This year, around Rs 3,000 crore has been kept in the budget for the Railways. This is the difference of just 10 years,” Modi said.
“In this year's interim budget, we have set a target of making three crore sisters ‘lakhpati didi’. We have also launched the ‘NaMo Drone Didi’ scheme,” he said, while trying to woo the women by listing the government's work and schemes.
Regarding his just concluded visit to two nations, the Prime Minister said, “Just as India receives respect today in the UAE and Qatar, it also receives good wishes from every corner. This respect is not just for Modi; it belongs to all Indians, to each one of you.”
Crew on seized cargo ship to be released soon, assures Iran Foreign Minister
The 16 remaining Indian crew members on board a cargo ship seized by Iran are set to be released soon, Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian assured his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel in a telephonic conversation on Saturday.
1,500 Sikhs join BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, Punjab
In a significant development, 1,500 members from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, along with Singh Sabha and other Sikh organisations, joined BJP on Saturday, just weeks ahead of Lok Sabha elections in Delhi and Punjab.
TMC writes to ECI complaining about CBI, NSG ops at Sandeshkhali during second phase of polls
The Trinamool Congress on Saturday wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) opposing the CBI and National Security Guard (NSG) raids at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas District on Friday and expressed apprehensions that the central agencies might have 'planted' weapons at the search site to 'defame it' when the second phase of Lok Sabha polls were underway.
2 CRPF personnel killed in attack by armed group in Manipur
Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including a Sub Inspector, were killed and two others have been injured after armed groups attacked a camp of security forces in Manipur’s Bishnupur district early on Saturday, police said.
Land subsidence leaves 350 people homeless in J&K’s Ramban District
Over 350 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K’s) Ramban District abandoned their homes on Saturday after destruction of the houses due to land subsidence.
Houthi leader vows to continue maritime attacks, calls Indian Ocean 'new theatre of confrontation'
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Houthi group, has vowed to continue its naval operations in the Red Sea, rejecting media reports suggesting a decrease in Houthi maritime attacks, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
Second phase of Lok Sabha polls sees enthusiastic voter turnout from Jammu to Kerala, Maharashtra to Tripura
The BJP, holding a significant number of seats in this phase, considers these elections crucial for maintaining and expanding its influence to secure a substantial majority in the Lok Sabha.
EC suspends 26 Tripura govt staff for taking part in political events, violation of poll code
The Election Commission (EC) has so far suspended 26 Tripura government employees, including security personnel, for participating in political events, election campaigns, and violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),