New Delhi, June 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public meeting in Odisha on Friday, congratulated the state’s BJP government on completion of one year and called it a symbol of good governance, public service and public trust. He said that this anniversary is not just the anniversary of the government’s tenure, but the anniversary of the beginning of a new era.
The Prime Minister told that he was participating in the G-7 Summit in Canada two days ago. During that time, US President Donald Trump called him and invited him to come to Washington and discuss over food. The Prime Minister said in an emotional tone, “I told the President of America, thank you for the invitation, but it is important for me to go to the land of Mahaprabhu. That is why I politely refused his invitation. Your love has drawn me to the land of Mahaprabhu.” Modi said that rejecting this invitation was not a political decision, but a priority of faith and culture.
Describing Odisha as the divine star of India’s cultural and spiritual heritage, the Prime Minister said that Odisha is not just a state, it is a living center of Indian civilization. This land of Mahaprabhu Jagannath has enriched our culture for centuries. He said that the BJP government has given priority to matters related to the Srimandir. As soon as the BJP government was formed in the state, all four doors of the Srimandir were opened and the much-awaited Ratna Bhandar was also inaugurated. He clarified that this is not a matter of political victory or defeat. It is a respect for the faith of crores of devotees.
Prime Minister Modi made serious allegations against the previous governments of corruption, ignoring development and neglect of the tribal society. He said that a very large number of tribal society resides in Odisha, but they have always been used for politics. They got neither development nor participation.
He said that before 2014, more than 125 tribal districts were in the grip of Naxalite violence, but due to the efforts of the BJP government, this violence has now been limited to only 20 districts. He reiterated that eradicating Naxalism from its roots is Modi’s guarantee.
The Prime Minister said that the BJP’s double engine government has brought revolutionary changes in health facilities in Odisha. Earlier, lakhs of poor families were deprived of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Now both the state government’s Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana and the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana are implemented here, due to which about 3 crore people are getting the benefit of free treatment.
The Prime Minister praised Odisha’s Mohan Charan Majhi and his government and said that the faith shown by the people of Odisha in change is now coming out in the form of results. In the coming times, Odisha will become the centre of progress and cultural renaissance of the country.