Lucknow, Dec 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) takes pride in the fact that its government got the historic opportunity to dismantle Article 370, calling it a major step towards national unity and good governance.
Prime Minister made these remarks after inaugurating the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow on the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Addressing a public gathering, Modi said the BJP-led government had fulfilled a long-standing commitment by removing Article 370, which he termed a “wall” that hindered integration.
He said the legacy of good governance established by the NDA government under Vajpayee is now being carried forward and strengthened at both the Centre and state levels. Modi also remarked that for decades after Independence, there was a tendency to credit all achievements to a single family, which, he said, weakened democratic values.
Highlighting welfare initiatives, the Prime Minister said his government adopted Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s Antyodaya vision as its guiding principle to ensure benefits reach the poorest sections without discrimination. He noted that social security coverage has expanded significantly, from around 25 crore beneficiaries before 2014 to nearly 95 crore today.
Modi also expressed confidence that Uttar Pradesh’s defence corridor will soon gain global recognition as a major hub for defence manufacturing.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and other senior leaders. He received a warm welcome from the public, who waved the national flag and raised slogans in his support.
The Rashtra Prerna Sthal, a national memorial dedicated to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the ideological pillars of the BJP, features towering bronze statues of Vajpayee, Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, along with a modern lotus-shaped museum showcasing their lives and contributions. (KNC)
