Narendra Modi an inspiring leader whose govt has taken India on path of development: Khattar

Chandigarh, May 29 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday described Narendra Modi as an “inspiring leader” whose government at the Centre has taken the country on path of development during the past nine years.

“Narendra Modi ji is an inspiring leader. The nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure has been dedicated to ‘jan seva’ (public service),” he said.

Speaking at a ‘Samvad’ event here on the occasion of completion of nine years of the Modi government, Khattar noted, “The prime minister puts the country first and for him, welfare of his citizens is above everything else.”

He said India’s global prestige has increased under the Modi government.

“Leaders of big nations have now begun referring to Modi as the ‘Boss’,” he said in an apparent reference to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling Modi ‘boss’.

The Haryana chief minister also talked about several central schemes launched for the welfare of poor and weaker sections.

He said after Modi became the prime minister in 2014, Modi had telephoned him expressing concern over skewed sex ratio in Haryana and said something needed to be done about it.

Later, the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign was launched from Panipat in January 2015, he said, adding that the campaign has received tremendous success.

He said the central government under Modi is working on the 5S strategy ‘shiksha’ (education), ‘swasthya’ (health), ‘suraksha’ (security), ‘swavlamban’ (self-reliance) and ‘swabhiman’ (self-respect).

The National Education Policy-2020, which has been put into effect across the country, aims to awaken the national spirit in children by combining new technology with traditional teaching methods, he said.

Khattar termed Modi as a “prayog karmi neta”, one who does not hesitate to undertake experiments in national interest. He always puts country first, he added.

“Challenges never deter him,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Seva (service), ‘sushashan’ (good governance) and ‘garib kalyan’ (welfare of the poor) have been the hallmark of nine years of the Narendra Modi government.”

He said the Congress-led UPA’s 10-year rule between 2004 and 2014 was a “lost decade” and claimed that in 2014, “a national opinion” was formed that “divide and rule politics, slow growth.. was not needed” and people overthrew their government and brought the BJP-led government to power.

“During the last nine years, Narendra Modi changed the political culture of this country,” he said.

“In these nine years, countless reforms and governance initiatives have been successfully implemented across the country that have steered India to its current strength,” he added.

He said when Modi spoke about building toilets, “it was not just about building toilets, it was about dignity, safety, health and wellness”.

On the occasion, state BJP president O P Dhankar said in these nine years, everyone has seen how India has emerged as a strong nation on the world stage.

“It gives me immense pleasure to share that the dreams we saw at our young age are now turning into reality… Abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, construction of Ram temple are such dreams which have come true under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

Haryana BJP in-charge, Biplab Kumar Deb said the nine years of the Modi government rule are the most memorable ones.

“The ‘Swabhiman’ and ‘Samman’ of India has enhanced under the leadership of Narendra Modi and this I term as one of the biggest achievements in these nine years,” he said.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Kamlesh Dhanda were among others present on the occasion.