New Delhi, Jan 9 – The BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi addressed the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas – a gathering of NRI Indians – at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan on Friday. Known for his punch-packed speeches, Modi instantly hit it off with the audience with a jibe against none other than the Indian PM Manmohan Singh.
“PM said the good days will come soon. I agree. Better times will arrive in a few month,” said Modi, adding in the next breath that BJP will form a government at the Centre in 2014.
However, Modi followed it up with, “Petty politics between states and Centre harms the nation.”
The event was not without its share of controversy. Goa CM Manohar Parrikar was also supposed to address the gathering but he backed out at the last moment, giving the stage to BJP’s lone CM at the event. Modi was accompanied by three Congress CMs – Haryana’s Bhupinder Hooda, Meghayalay’s Mukul Sangma and Kerala’s Oomen Chandy.
Following are the highlights of Modi’s speech:
–We should not weigh NRIs in just dollars and pounds.
–Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915. Now this is 100 years so I urge government of India to plan and organise programmes.
–We should not only look to NRI’s for investment point of view.
–PM said one good point that good times are coming soon. Don’t get disheartened. May be you have to wait for 5 6 months, but good times will comes.
–Instead of Centre, investments are coming to states. A good sign for federal structure.
–Had Patel not been there, we would have to take Pak visa to see lions of Gir. So planned a statue, double that of the Statue of Liberty. We want that the Run for Unity be organised in other countries as well.
–A confident looking India, with Gandhian ideals, going to other parts of the world.
–Only on a few occasions did Indians get agitated. When the Emergency was imposed, Indians all over the world got agitated. Secondly, when Vajpayee govt conducted the nuclear tests, Indians abroad helped bail out the nation. Even in 2014 elections Indians all over the world are very excited and I appeal to all of them to take part.
-Indiatoday
