Will serve people of India till my last breath, says PM Modi days after Kharge's 'baa
Will serve people of India till my last breath, says PM Modi days after Kharge's 'baap' remark
M.U.H
30/10/202613
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday vowed to continue serving the people of India until his last breath, days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” remark triggered a political controversy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday vowed to continue serving the people of India until his last breath, days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” remark triggered a political controversy.
Addressing a gathering in Bhildi town of Gujarat's Banaskantha district, Modi accused the Opposition of taking pleasure in the country's difficulties and spreading panic over the availability of fertilisers and cooking gas amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
“Jeevan ke antim kshan tak janta ki seva main hi juta rahunga (I will continue to serve the people until my last breath),” Modi declared.
The Prime Minister was speaking after inaugurating the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) and launching development projects worth Rs 14,000 crore, besides laying foundation stones for several other initiatives.
He also released the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, which provides eligible farmers with annual income support of Rs 6,000.
Without naming anyone, Modi said some people wanted to see the country in distress and found happiness whenever it faced a crisis.
“There are those who wish to see the country in distress -- they actually derive pleasure when the nation faces hardship. Whenever a crisis befalls the country, they find joy in it,” he said.
Referring to the conflict in West Asia, which is crucial to India's energy security and a major source of fertiliser imports, Modi said the country was united in dealing with the situation, but some people were spreading rumours and creating panic.
“They sowed fear among farmers, claiming fertilisers would become unavailable. They created artificial queues and created a sense of panic,” he alleged.
The Prime Minister also accused the Opposition of attempting to create chaos by spreading fears about a shortage of cooking gas.
“They also tried to frighten women, claiming that cooking gas would no longer be available and asking, 'How will you cook your meals? How will your children go to school?' Their plan was to incite chaos across the country, all in an attempt to defame Modi,” he said.
“I had promised that Modi would stand firmly by your side. And look -- even though the conflict continues, Modi has ensured that there is no shortage of fertilisers for our farmers,” he added.
Modi said global fertiliser prices and the cost of chemicals required to manufacture them had increased because of the conflict, but the government had ensured that farmers did not bear the additional burden.
“Globally, a bag of urea costs as much as Rs 3,000, yet, Indian farmers receive it for less than Rs 300. The government took this entire burden on itself to ensure the bag reaches you (farmers) at just Rs 300,” he said.
Similarly, the global price of a bag of diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser had crossed Rs 5,000, while Indian farmers were receiving it for Rs 1,350, he added.
The Prime Minister said farmers across the country had received or saved more than Rs 50 lakh crore through various government schemes over the past few years, asserting that his government had prioritised their welfare.
Under the 24th instalment of PM-Kisan released on Friday, more than Rs 18,000 crore had been transferred to the bank accounts of around 10 crore farmers, he said.
Highlighting five government schemes, Modi said around Rs 4.5 lakh crore had been transferred directly to small farmers under PM-Kisan since its launch in early 2019.
He said the government had spent around Rs 16 lakh crore to shield farmers from rising fertiliser prices amid global uncertainty. Wheat and paddy farmers had received Rs 24 lakh crore through the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism over the past 12 years, he added.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers had received more than Rs 2 lakh crore in compensation over the last 10 to 12 years, Modi said.
The PM-KUSUM scheme had also helped reduce irrigation costs, with nearly 12 lakh solar-powered water pumps installed. The pumps had enabled farmers to save on diesel expenses while contributing to electricity generation, he added.
The scheme aims to promote the use of solar energy in agriculture, reduce dependence on diesel and increase farmers' incomes.
“Through these initiatives (five government schemes) alone, the nation's farmers have either received or saved an amount equivalent to Rs 50 lakh crore, a truly massive figure, which has contributed to increasing their income,” Modi said.
The rally venue in Bhildi had charpais (cots) instead of chairs for the audience. Modi welcomed the arrangement, suggesting that it could be one of the biggest 'charpai sabhas' he had addressed.
Addressing the gathering before the Prime Minister, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said Modi enjoyed the support of 140 crore Indians and asserted that neither the Congress nor its allies could weaken the bond between him and the people.
Sanghavi said the slogan “Modi kahi nahi jayega” (Modi will not go anywhere), coined in response to Kharge's “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” (Even Modi's father will go) remark, had echoed across the country, from villages in Banaskantha to Kashmir and Kanyakumari.
Referring to Kharge's remark, Sanghavi said the Opposition had failed to understand the extent of public support for the Prime Minister.
“An ordinary Congress worker told the party president (at an event in Bihar) that Modi kahi nahi jayega. He told Kharge that this is the sentiment of the country,” Sanghavi said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said Modi would continue working until India became a leading global economy, achieved self-reliance and emerged as a manufacturing hub.
