Time for BJP to set targets for the next 25 years, says Indian PM Modi at party meet

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has brought development into the mainstream of national politics, some political parties have been playing with the country's future for their momentary benefits, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday (20 May).

The PM was addressing the BJP national office bearers' meeting in Rajasthan's Jaipur via video conferencing.

Hitting out at rivals without naming them, Modi alleged that for their selfish interests, the parties look for small tensions and weaknesses in society to pour poison into them.

"They incite people sometimes in the name of caste or regionalism," Modi said.

Modi said it is essential for the BJP, which is moving forward with its dream of "Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat", to keep cautioning people against these forces and parties.

The PM also asserted that dynastic politics is dangerous for democracy.

"After independence, dynastic politics has not only harmed the country but wasted valuable time. Even today the parties running on dynastic politics are trying to take the country backward. Their public life begins with the family and is only for the family."

Modi said, "We have to give such people a chance in the BJP, connect them with the party, which has nothing to do with politics. We have to remember that only BJP can return the trust of those who are deceived by the politics of dynastic politics. The dynastic politics have given rise to corruption in the country. To save democracy, we have to fight against dynastic politics."

The PM said that it is time for the BJP to set targets for the next 25 years, along with "consistently working for the country's people to fulfil their aspirations and wading through all the challenges".

"India is seen as a country filled with aspirations. Now, every citizen of India wants to see the work getting done along with witnessing the outcome. In this backdrop, the responsibility of governments increases tremendously."

Highlighting that the BJP will complete eight years of governance at the centre this month, Modi said that these eight years have seen "resolutions and accomplishments," adding this period was dedicated to service, good governance and welfare of the poor. "These years have been that of serving the nation, working for the welfare of the poor and the middle class along with ensuring social justice and security and strengthening women's empowerment," Modi said.

The prime minister also pointed out that an area where the BJP has to keep on working continuously is the politics of development which should be established in all four directions of the county. "Whichever political party it is, it has to be forced to take part in politics of development," Modi told the BJP workers.

The meeting of the office bearers started on Thursday with the meeting of the BJP's national general secretaries. JP Nadda, the BJP's national president, took a detailed report of states from the party general secretaries in the meeting and gave directions to expedite the programs of the party.

Nadda, who was present during Friday's meeting, said the BJP always received the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Modi whenever it was needed.

"During the transmission period of Covid-19, when all political parties went into lockdown and isolation and merely registered attendance on Twitter, you (Narendra Modi) gave us the mantra of 'Seva hi Sangathan'. Inspired by this, every BJP worker walked the path shown by you," Nadda said.

Commenting on it, Congress spokesperson RC Choudhary said, "The PM is attacking the dynasty, but he needs to understand that only those families are discussed, which has a history. The BJP is frustrated as their party or leaders had no role in freedom or nation building. "The BJP has neglected the issue of development and is only doing politics of division. It is the Congress which has worked for all the sections of society," he said.