Do not fall for the ruse of Oppn's anti-nationalism, dynasticism: Modi in Madhya Pradesh

Addressing the Veerangana Rani Durgavati Balidan Diwas Samaroh in this divisional headquarters – where he launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission and distribution of digital Ayushman cards – the PM said, “These detractors conduct meetings with anti-national elements. In fact, the scamsters are making a perfidious show of unity. It was not very long back that these family-centric parties used to throw vitriol at one another. If you fall for their ruse, you shall suffer and so will your next generation.”

Without naming any leader, the Prime Minister said that individuals accused of corruption are out on bail.

Accusing his opponents of being dead against the tribal community, Mr Modi added, “They are opposing the NEP as they do not desire that adivasi children should gain the light of knowledge in their respective mother tongues. They know full well that if kids of tribal folk, the backward and the indigent advance then vote-bank politics shall be dealt a death blow. Tribes were ignored earlier whereas looters of forests and land received protection. Tribal tradition and art were subjected to mockery. Never forget the adverse behavior of earlier dispensations that were insensitive and insulting towards adivasis and the impoverished. When a tribal lady was assuming the nation’s highest constitutional post, we observed the negative attitude of several parties.”

Turning his gun specifically on the Congress, the Prime Minister said, “Their guarantee translates into ‘neeyat mein khot, gareeb par chhot’. During their tenure, they could not even ensure two square meals a day for the poverty-stricken or proper medical treatment for that matter. Beware of those issuing false guarantees and recognise the concealed flaw in their empty words. Know their game of deceit. When they speak of free electricity read that tariff shall be enhanced, ‘good roads’ mean quite the opposite, ‘raising of pensions’ means hiccups vis-a-vis salaries, ‘economical fuel’ translates into something radically different and ‘employment opportunities’ actually means closure of industrial units.”

For the BJP, the tribal community is not a mere government statistic but a sensitive subject, Mr Modi averred and added that the 500th birth anniversary of Rani Durgavati shall witness a pan-India celebration including making of a film, minting of a silver coin, issuance of a postal stamp and a door-to-door awareness campaign “as she equals a pure mother for us.”

The Prime Minister touched on milestones crossed in the contexts of health, PMGKAY, PMUY, PMMY, Eklavya schools, MUDRA, the PESA Act, Tribal Pride Day and tribal museums. He held up an enlarged version of an Ayushman card while explaining the scheme’s benefits.

“During my sojourn to Japan, I interacted with a Nobel laureate and sought assistance on the sickle cell anaemia front as half the world’s such cases are found in India. Every year, 2.5 lakh children are affected by this genetic malady and combating it will constitute the principal mission of Amrit Kaal. I am confident that by 2047, we shall have freed the country from this scourge. By 2025, TB is to be eliminated,” he said during his 32-minute-long speech.

Among the dignitaries present were Union Health and Family Welfare, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya; Minister of State for Steel and Rural Development Faggansingh Kulaste; MoS for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta; Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.