On BJP foundation day, Modi says it stands for 'rashtra bhakti', rivals for 'parivar bhakti'

Targeting political rivals, he said when these parties active nationally or in states come to power, members of some families dominate from local bodies to Parliament and added that only the BJP has challenged them and made it an electoral issue.

Asserting that the BJP stands for ''Rashtra bhakti'' and its rivals for ''Parivar bhakti'', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that people are gradually realizing that dynastic parties are the ''biggest enemies'' of democracy. Addressing BJP members on the party's 42nd foundation day, he said dynastic parties are dedicated to further family rule and have little regard for constitutional norms, and cover-up corruption and misdeeds of each other even though they may be active in different states. In a reference to geo-political developments due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he said India is acting by keeping its national interest supreme when the world is divided into two opposing poles. Targeting political rivals, he said when these parties active nationally or in states come to power, members of some families dominate from local bodies to Parliament and added that only the BJP has challenged them and made it an electoral issue. They did not allow the country's young talent to come up and betrayed them, he said, without naming any party.

BJP workers are fighting against the ''injustice'' and ''atrocities'' of these parties by sticking to democratic values, he said, adding that some have even sacrificed their lives, a reference to deaths of party members in alleged political violence in opposition-party ruled states like West Bengal and Kerala. Our struggle will continue till these anti-democratic forces are defeated, he said.

Modi said BJP governments have run welfare schemes without any discrimination and worked to take them to every beneficiary while previous dispensations were driven by vote bank politics in which some sections of society were made promises while larger sections were ignored. The BJP succeeded in convincing people of the dangers of such an approach, he said. Discrimination and corruption were ''side effects'' of vote bank politics, he said, adding the government machinery now works to reach every intended beneficiary as part of its resolve for saturation coverage of welfare programs. Any discrimination cannot stay in such a mechanism, he said, asserting these measures are the biggest instrument of social justice. For the BJP, he said ''rajniti'' (politics) and ''Rashtra Niti'' (policies for the country's welfare) cannot be separated. People have been voting the BJP to power due to its work without any discrimination, he said and referred to the wide support it has received from Dalits and backward besides other sections of society.

The prime minister especially cited the big support to the party from women voters in various elections and said its policies to empower them and make their lives better with programs targeted at their health and security have brought them at the forefront of the BJP's support. The ongoing programs to mark the 75th anniversary of India's Independence and the ''rapidly changing'' global order which has presented the country with new opportunities make the ruling party's foundation day ''very important'', he said and also cited the BJP's poll success in retaining power in four states as another key marker along with it becoming the first party in three decades to have 100 members in the Rajya Sabha. A BJP member is representative of the country's dreams and resolve, the prime minister said, adding this is an era of social justice, harmony, self-reliance and taking ''local (products) to the global'' stage. Modi also asserted that BJP governments at the Centre and states have worked to take welfare schemes to every beneficiary without any discrimination and biases, reflecting the motto of ''sab ka Saath, sab ka Vikas''.

Asserting that India is working by keeping its national interest supreme, he said it is unflinching about its welfare. It is globally being seen as a country that speaks firmly about humanity, he said. India now has a convergence of policies, intentions, decisiveness, and determination, he said. He also cited several welfare measures, ranging from the Covid vaccination program to a free grain scheme costing over Rs 3.5 lakh crore and housing and cooking gas schemes for the poor, and said ''double engine'' governments, a reference to the BJP being a point where at the Centre and many states, are working to make people's lives better.