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Modi favours strong Oppn, targets dynastic parties
Parties caught in the rut of dynastic culture should free themselves from this malaise because only then the country will become truly empowered, says PM
KANPUR Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he favoured a strong opposition in the country and that the parties entangled in nepotism were huddling against him for the support his campaign against ‘pariwarvaad’ (dynastic rule) was drawing from the masses.
Modi’s remarks came during his address at the ancestral village of President Ram Nath Kovind, Paraunkh, in Kanpur Dehat. He urged the masses to guard against ‘pariwarvaad’.
“I want a strong opposition and political parties that strengthen the democracy. Parties caught in the rut of dynastic culture should free themselves from this malaise because only then will the country become truly empowered. Maybe I am expecting too much from such parties,” he said.
“It is due to democracy that four of us are here on the stage. President Ram Nath Kovindji, UP governor Anandiben Patelji, chief minister Yogi Adityanathji and myself were born in small villages. This is the power of democracy that even the poorest of the poor can become president, prime minister, governor and chief minister. But while we discuss this, we also have to consider how ‘pariwarvaad’ harms talent and hinders progress of the meritorious,” he said.
“Dynastic parties need to be stopped to ensure that the poor can also dream of reaching top positions,” said Modi, adding that some misinterpret his statement against ‘pariwarwaad’ as a mere political statement.
“Those who fit into my definition of ‘pariwarwaad’ are angry at me. Dynasts across the country are huddling against me. They are angry at me as the youth of the country is paying attention to my take against dynastic culture. I want to tell these people to not misinterpret me as I don’t have any personal grudges against any political party or any individual. It’s just that merit won’t get its due until dynastic culture ends,” he emphasised.
Modi also spoke of the President breaking protocol to receive him at the helipad.
“Paraunkh inculcated values in the President, which the world is watching now. On one hand, there is ‘samvidhan’ (Constitution) to which he is tied to and on the other hand, there are ‘sanskars (values)’. When I spoke to him on the issue that being an elder, holding the highest Constitutional post, he came to receive me, the President told me that he is the President but here in his village, he was a host who had come to receive the guest in the spirit of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. It is this spirit that resides in all of us and I bow to the President,” the PM said.
“This village has seen the President’s childhood. On way to the village the President shared many memories of the place like the time when he used to run 5 km barefoot to his school in the sweltering heat. I had the opportunity to visit Pathri Mata temple, which is symbolic of ‘ek bharat, ek shreshtha.’ It combines ‘dev bhakti, desh bhakti (worship of the gods and worship of the nation),” stated the PM.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra also visited the BR Ambedkar Bhawan and Milan Kendra in Paraunkh village earlier in the day. The kendra is the ancestral house of the President that was donated for public use and converted into a community centre (Milan Kendra). The Milan Kendra helps women get trained in job-oriented courses such as weaving, stitching, embroidery and other courses.
President Ram Nath Kovind praised the PM for living up to the ideals of Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar.
“I am delighted that the PM took out time to visit my village on my invite. UP was all praise for your spirit of inclusiveness when you took the initiative to support a person like me, born in a poor family, for the post of President. UP always felt that despite giving nine Prime Ministers to the country, it had not given any President. But now, UPites feel proud that one of them was chosen for the country’s highest constitutional post and the credit for this goes to you Mr PM,” the President said.
“I also would like to mention that before coming here, the PM toured the village, prayed at our village temple but didn’t forget to garland Bhimrao Ambedkar’s statue too,” he added.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, while welcoming the President, also thanked the PM for taking out time to visit the village where President spent his childhood.
“It is my good fortune to welcome the President in his own village,” the CM said adding that the presence of the President and PM in a small village of UP was like living up to the rural focus espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.
