India’s Modi touts government achievements in annual speech

India celebrated its 69th Independence Day Saturday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the nation from the iconic Red Fort in the capital New Delhi.

In 2013, Modi, as the Gujarat chief minister, used the Independence Day stage to attack then prime minister Manmohan Singh for not giving any assurance to the nation on tackling Pakistan in his Red Fort speech. “No one put up such a request and today on August 15, I congratulate team India that they have respected the tricolour and have left no stone unturned to realise the dream and nearly accomplished constructing the toilets”, Modi said in his speech today.

Security agencies are using satellite imagery to map the area around the Red Fort to check all high-rises and a no-fly zone will be enforced over Delhi during the function.

“I want to tell the people that the country can become free of corruption”.

“Casteism and communalism will not be tolerated in India”, he said.

During the 85-minute address, he talked about the much-anticipated “One-Rank, One-Pension”, however Modi failed to give any timeline on the implementation. 20,000 crore deposited in the Jan Dhan accounts reflected the “richness of India’s poor”.

Congress leader Ambika Sonia questioned the Prime Minister for “remaining silent all along on corruption by his Ministers”.

The doors of the banks were not open for the poor.

Highlighting the need to involve people in governance, he said “Be it MyGov, letters from citizens, Mann Ki Baat, communication with people…daily Jan Bhagidari is increasing”.

He said through the new law, while efforts are being made to bring back black money already stashed overseas, it has at least ensured that nobody dares to take tainted money out of the country. That’s what we have done.

“I appeal to the states and all other stakeholders to connect these villages with electricity system within 1,000 days”, Modi said.

“Modi announced the agriculture ministry would now be known as the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare – to better take care of farmers’ needs”.

“Our attitude towards the poor is not correct”, he said.

“Hon’ble Prime Minister has aptly laid a strong focus on the agricultural economy by giving impetus on productivity through enhanced irrigation facilities and improvement in soil fertility”. Save water, save energy, save fertilizers should be our motto.

“The trust with which talks are on, we are expecting a positive outcome”. He said every government promised to implement OROP but nothing was done.