Latest news with #KeshavUpadhye
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
National Interest is Supreme
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE US President Donald Trump has recently announced to increase import duty on Indian goods up to 50 percent. Trump's announcement is being discussed at various levels on international platforms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reacted to this US sanction in very clear terms. 'I will never compromise with the interests of India's farmers, animal husbandry sector and the fishermen', with this response, Prime Minister Modi has sent a direct message to the whole world that India will not bow to anyone's pressure. India's oil purchase from Russia in international trade is an objectionable issue for the US. The US insists that India should not buy oil from Russia. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has given a blunt reply to the Trump administration by releasing the details of the US's purchase from Russia. The Trump administration has decided to impose a 50 percent import duty on Brazil along with India. While discussing the sanctions imposed on India by a superpower like America, the message that the central government will not compromise with India's interests has been given very calmly without any fuss. Industrialists like Anand Mahindra and Harsh Goenka have openly supported this stance of the Modi government. The picture that has emerged on this occasion is that the entire nation has decided not to bow down to America. America has used its economic empire to impose sanctions on India many times before. In the very recent past, i.e. in 1998, after the Pokhran test, the then Bill Clinton administration had imposed sanctions on India. Even then, the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not bowed down to America. As India has become a significant player in the global political scene, various powers have consistently attempted to corner it over the last 11 years. Despite these efforts, there are no signs of India's development momentum slowing down. As a result, pressure tactics such as increasing import restrictions are now being employed. Donald Trump's recent language towards India has become extremely ugly and derogatory. Prime Minister Modi has preferred to respond to this language with calm actions rather than aggressive responses. After India's strong response to the Pahalgam massacre in the form of 'Operation Sindoor', the US's stance has suddenly become anti-India. Donald Trump had often boasted that he himself intervened to stop the conflict between India and Pakistan and brokered the ceasefire. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also responded to that as well in a very moderate language. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has given a befitting reply to Trump, who announced that he is increasing import duty on India to 50 percent in order to stop the purchase of oil from Russia. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has shown evidence that the US and the European Union are still trading with Russia. The Trump administration is trying to penetrate a huge market like India. There is an insistence on opening up India's agricultural sector to US imports. The Trump administration is also trying to ensure that there is a large amount of American investment in the sectors of animal husbandry, dairy farming, and fishing. The Trump administration is taking an insistent stance to bring genetically modified crops (GM crops), corn, wheat, and ethanol to India, which can impact Indian agricultural sustainability. The ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries have made it clear what America is fighting for. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clear message to the Trump administration that he will never compromise with the interests of Indian farmers, and that he is ready to pay any price for it. India is getting crude oil from Russia at a discounted rate, which is benefiting the country, that is why we have been buying crude oil from Russia for the last 3 years. Even after the war with Ukraine, European countries have not stopped buying oil from Russia. America's duplicity has been proven by imposing a mere 15 percent import tax on European countries that buy oil from Russia and a 50 percent import tax on India. Trump has vented his disgust with India by stating that India's economy is dead. Every person in India has a debt of Rs 4.8 lakh. In a country like America, there is a debt of 90 thousand 400 dollars per person which is about 80 lakhs. The Trump administration, which is striving to maintain its dominance in the global trade arena, has started a vigorous attempt to put pressure on India by increasing import tariffs. The Trump administration has announced the increase in import duties even as trade talks between India and the US continue. One could say that the Trump administration, which is under the illusion that India will succumb to its pressure tactics, has clearly not understood the Modi government. The industry and trade sector of the country is firmly behind the Modi government. In the last 11 years, the Modi government has focused on increasing domestic production in the sectors of defence, automobiles, electronics, and medicines to implement the concept of 'self-reliant India'. In the last 11 years, India's imports have been decreasing step by step and exports have been increasing significantly. While building trade relations, the role of 'national interest is paramount' will be maintained as a priority. This is the true identity of the new India. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress – singing the tune of Pakistan
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE Parliament recently held a discussion on 'Operation Sindoor', a joint operation by the Indian armed forces against terrorist outfits in Pakistan. Entire opposition including Congress were consistently demanding a discussion in Parliament on this issue. Congress' prince Rahul Gandhi and his sidekicks were also alleging that the government is not ready to discuss this subject in the parliament. The Modi government refuted the opposition's allegation by discussing this issue in detail. Rahul Gandhi's objection that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not speaking a word on this matter also turned out to be totally false. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also shed light in detail on various aspects related to 'Operation Sindoor' and the subsequent developments. This helped expose Congress' pro Pakistan stand in front of the nation once again. Congress' prince, while speaking in Lok Sabha, questioned why the action by armed forces against Pakistan was stopped and also bragged that the bravery and courage should have been shown like his grandmother Indira Gandhi. There is absolutely no doubt that Mrs Indira Gandhi showed the courage of breaking Bangladesh from Pakistan and making it an independent nation in 1971. Jan Sangh, the main opposition party at that time, had given its complete support to Indira Gandhi. The world could see the proud picture of the entire opposition standing in solidarity behind Indira Gandhi. The same picture was expected during the time of 'Operation Sindoor'. However, the behaviour of opposition parties over the last eleven years has shown time and again that they do not hesitate to take even an anti-national stand just to oppose Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi completely exposed the Congress' stand during his speech in the Lok Sabha. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, while speaking on this matter in Rajya Sabha, showed another example of his love for Pakistan by raising a question 'Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan?' At the same time Praniti Shinde, daughter of another senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, while making her point in Lok Sabha insulted the Indian armed forces by calling 'Operation Sindoor' a 'Tamasha' performed only for the media. She revealed Congress' traditional love for Pakistan by blatantly lying that the government is not giving information on how many terrorists were killed in 'Operation Sindoor'. In the press conference held immediately after 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian armed forces had clearly stated that the only purpose behind this operation was to destroy terrorist camps in Pakistan. In this operation India targeted 4 terrorist camps located 100 km inside Pakistan and destroyed 5 camps in POK with great precision. Officials of the Indian armed forces had informed in a press conference in New Delhi that the bases of the terrorist organizations Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba have been destroyed. Despite that, a public representative like Praniti Shinde in Lok Sabha by asking questions like 'what exactly was achieved by this operation' and calling 'Operation Sindoor' a 'Tamasha', cast a doubt on the actions of the Indian armed forces. Congress has this old habit of insulting the armed forces. Pakistan launched missile attacks targeting civilian settlements in India after 'Operation Sindoor'. However, the Indian armed forces repelled all these attacks. After that the Indian armed forces showed its strength by targeting army bases in Pakistan. Terrified by these attacks, Pakistan pleaded with India to stop the attacks. The Indian armed forces had also clearly stated that they have temporarily stopped 'Operation Sindoor' at Pakistan's request as the aim of teaching Pakistan a lesson had been achieved. Leaders of the ruling party, ministers at centre were not briefing the media throughout this period. All the briefings regarding this operation, losses suffered by Pakistan in this operation were officially done by representatives of the Indian armed forces itself. A modern technique of PowerPoint presentation was used while sharing information about this operation. In spite of this Congress leaders have no shame in doubting the bravery of the Indian armed forces by making statements like what was achieved through 'Operation Sindoor' at the supreme level like Lok Sabha. Few days back, Rahul Gandhi had demanded information on the number of aircrafts shot down by Pakistan in 'Operation Sindoor'. The Indian armed forces had already given a clear explanation on this. Pakistan's Prime Minister had made the ridiculous claim that their army had shot down Indian planes. However, the government of Pakistan failed to provide a single evidence of this. Instead of demanding information about the damage done to Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi was asking for the information on the number of Indian aircrafts that were shot down. Today, Rahul Gandhi is making childish remarks like asking why 'Operation Sindoor' was stopped?, Modi Government lacks courage to take action against Pakistan, but he will conveniently forget that no action was taken against Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks in 2008 despite the readiness of Indian armed forces only because of the weak stand taken by Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi also forgot that his grandmother unconditionally released over one lakh Pakistani soldiers. The prince is even oblivious to the fact that he is speaking the language of Pakistan just to oppose Modi and BJP. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fifty years of the Emergency – remembering the darkest chapter
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE 25th June, 1975…. A black day in the history of independent India. India became independent from the clutches of British rule in 1947. Three years later, the republic of India was formed on the basis of the Constitution. The darkest chapter called Emergency began in the same year when the republic of India was celebrating its Silver Jubilee. This chapter stifled the freedom of expression of Indian citizens, but more than that, it also became a witness to horrific abuse of power by the government. The Emergency was imposed on the country within just 13 days after the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha from Raebareli constituency in 1971 was declared void by the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Jagmohanlal Sinha. All the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution to common citizens and newspapers were curtailed. The excessive suppression by the government machinery was so horrific that even the British would be ashamed. There was no social media or internet in those days. The two state-owned media platforms, Akashvani and Doordarshan, were the only source of information. Doordarshan had just started, so its reach was limited. Not even a single line of news regarding opposition meetings, demonstrations or speeches held against the Emergency was reported by these state owned platforms. The Indira Gandhi government ensured that no news against the government reached the public by censoring newspapers. Even the British, who had a pride that the Sun never sets on the British Empire, had to leave India. Destiny made even Indira Gandhi pay the price for imposing the Emergency. But by then Indian people had suffered a lot because of one individual's lust for power. That period made Indians understand how great the value of freedom of writing and freedom of speech is. The electricity to all newspaper offices in Delhi, the capital of the country, was cut off before the President signed the ordinance of Emergency. All important leaders of opposition including the leaders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Socialist party were arrested immediately. Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, two key players of the Emergency, knew exactly what they wanted to do during the Emergency. Mrs Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency fearing that the court verdict would force her to give away her Prime Ministerial post. The entire nation witnessed the cruel dictator in Indira Gandhi in the form of horrific abuse of power during that period. The dictatorship was so terrible that newspapers had to show every single line to the government officials. Newspapers could not be sent for printing without approval of government officials. Government officials would only allow newspapers to be printed after ensuring that not a single word has been written against Mrs Indira Gandhi or Emergency. The censorship was imposed on the freedom of press to prevent information about the cruel acts committed during the emergency from reaching the common people. Even artists, actors were hit by this dictatorship. Songs of Kishore Kumar, who refused to sing a song praising the Emergency, were banned from broadcasting on Akashvani and Doordarshan. Notices were sent to Kishore Kumar through the Income Tax Department. But Kishore Kumar still did not succumb. Dev Anand was also harassed in many ways because of his refusal to issue a statement in support of the Emergency. Barbaric acts were committed in the form of forced sterilization while carrying out a family planning campaign aimed at controlling the country's population. Government officials were given the target of family planning surgeries. Many unmarried men were also forcibly sterilized to achieve this target. Journalists and intellectuals also remained silent against the torture during the Emergency. Opposition party workers were being imprisoned without enquiry. Even many senior leaders of Congress like Yashwantaro Chavan, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Brahmananda Reddy did not dare to utter a single word against Indira Gandhi. The proposal to impose a state of emergency was sent to the President for signature without seeking an approval of the Union Cabinet. But Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Jana Sangh ran a nationwide campaign without paying any heed to Indira Gandhi's suppression. Thousands of swayamsevaks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh staged protests against the Emergency across the country without fearing imprisonment. Thousands of people lost their jobs, their lives were shattered due to this. More than 10 lakh people were arrested across the country. Family members of senior socialist leader George Fernandes were severely harassed as the police failed to trace him. Police force was used extensively to suppress voices against the Emergency. Even elderly leader like Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, who led the fight against Mrs Indira Gandhi, was not spared from imprisonment. Indian people experienced the Emergency for 21 months, i.e. from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977. Karnataka actress Snehalatha Reddy died due to torture during the Emergency. A law like 'MISA' was passed to arrest opposition party workers and leaders. Renowned director and writer Gulzar's film Aandhi was banned because the heroine's costume resembled that of Indira Gandhi. All the brutality was avenged by the voters in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections. By defeating Congress along with Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, voters brought about a bloodless revolution. The new generation must know this dark history and therefore the events of that period should be reminded. Rahul Gandhi, grandson of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, keeps on whining in the name of the constitution. But while citing the Constitution, he does not remember the torture of the common man during the Emergency by his own grandmother. The public memory is very short and therefore even the common man has to be reminded again and again of what happened during the Emergency. But Indian democracy emerged victorious after whatever Indian people had endured during that period. There is no doubt that the fight waged by the Indian people to defend the Constitution will be recorded in golden letters in Indian history. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
A comprehensive national policy beyond party lines
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE In response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Indian Armed Forces successfully launched 'Operation Sindoor' targeting terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Not stopping there, it suspended the 'Indus Water Treaty' signed with Pakistan in the 1960s. In response to 'Operation Sindoor', Pakistan made several simultaneous missile attacks on India. All these attacks were foiled by India's anti-missile system. In response, India attacked some Pakistani air bases. India took limited military action to teach a lesson to Pakistan's rulers and military leaders. After this action, the Modi government decided to send a delegation of MPs from all parties as well as former ambassadors and politicians to various countries. Accordingly, a delegation of 59 people visited 32 countries. The delegation briefed various countries on Pakistan's direct link to the Pahalgam attack, the terrorist camps destroyed in Operation Sindoor, and the subsequent airstrikes on Pakistani military locations. The delegation recently returned to India. In order to ensure that India does not fall short in diplomacy along with its strong military policies, the Modi government decided to send an all-party delegation. With the broad vision of national interest, MPs from all parties chose to forget party differences and proudly represented their motherland on the international platform. This incident became a testimony to the mature foreign policy of the Modi government. MPs like AIMIM's Owaisi, Congress's Salman Khurshid, Anand Sharma, Manish Tiwari, Supriya Sule, DMK's Kanimozhi, who have been strongly critical of the Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership on many issues, represented this delegation and presented India's side to the world very effectively. Former External Affairs Minister and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor led the delegation. By entrusting the leadership of this delegation to Tharoor, who has a deep knowledge of international politics, the Modi government showed its 'national interest is paramount' approach. Some groups tried to play parochial politics around the topic of this delegation. However, after realizing the angry and dissatisfied sentiments of the public about this, these groups did not prolong their ill experiments for long. In fact, while there was consensus between the ruling and opposition parties on this issue, there was no reason for some parties to assert political influence in the composition of the delegation. Congress had nominated four party members to participate in these delegations. Except for Anand Sharma, the government did not give a place to the other three. Instead, Shashi Tharoor was appointed as the head of the delegation. Congress was displeased by this. Tharoor has vast experience in diplomacy at the international level. Congress should have proposed Tharoor's name to the government on its own. However, due to opposition from some within the party to Tharoor's name, the Congress sent Sharma's name. The Congress leadership failed to realise that in such a situation, one should not be indulging in shallow party politics. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who also holds the position of Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, had demanded that the government should declare how many Indian aircrafts were shot down in 'Operation Sindoor'. This shows that Rahul Gandhi's shallowness has not subsided still. Congressmen are also waiting to see when Rahul Gandhi will have the wisdom to realize that by making such a demand, he is defaming his own country on the international stage. It was because of this stance that Congress's discord became public after Tharoor was assigned the leadership of the delegation. If the Modi government had included only BJP and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs in the delegation, the Congress's opposition would have been understandable. When that did not happen, the Congress leadership baselessly and unnecessarily blamed the Modi government on the delegation issue. There was no reason for Congress to be so hesitant about Tharoor's inclusion. This made a mockery of the Congress party. Tharoor has been openly praising the Modi government on various platforms after 'Operation Sindoor'. Some Congress leaders also complained about Tharoor over this. It was not expected that on one hand Rahul Gandhi would ask questions like how many Indian aircrafts have fallen down while on the other hand he would show the generosity of supporting the all-party delegation. As expected, this stance of Rahul Gandhi was well received in Pakistan. Terrorist leaders like Hafiz Saeed showered Rahul Gandhi with praise. India decided to call a ceasefire after receiving a proposal from Pakistan. Rahul tried to politicize that too. The Pakistan government itself has given information about which of its military bases were damaged due to India's attack. Despite the fact that Pakistan, which claims to have shot down Indian planes, has not been able to produce a single piece of evidence, Rahul Gandhi continues to trumpet and ask about how many Indian planes have been shot down. Due to this, Rahul Baba's political futility and obsolescence is becoming more and more prominent day by day. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
11 years that changed the dimensions of governance
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE Recently watched an interview of renowned industrialist and chairman & managing director of Bharat Forge, Baba Kalyani. In this interview, he has narrated his experience of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. In this interview, he says, 'A few years ago, Bharat Forge Company had developed a gun. We contacted the defence forces officials to test this gun. We requested them to provide a range to test this gun. This request was immediately rejected. At the same time, we were also ridiculed. Through my personal contacts, I got this gun tested in America. In 2016, we had placed this gun at the arms exhibition in Delhi. The then defence minister Manohar Parrikar saw this gun. He immediately called us. In the discussion that took place at that time, I shared my experience when I met the defence forces officials to test the gun. Parrikar immediately called the concerned officials and took them to task. In the same meeting, he ordered the provision of ranges to the defence forces for testing weapons of private manufacturers. Since then, India's defence manufacturers have seen good times in manufacturing weapons and ammunition. This is why India's arms exports have reached Rs 23,622 crore.' Mr. Kalyani's experience provides a clear picture of the changes that have occurred during the 11-year rule of the Modi government. In the last 11 years, the Modi government has completely changed the parameters of who should exercise power and how to exercise it. While radically changing the culture of politics and state administration, the Modi government has created new standards of good governance. The Modi government has consistently presented its work without forgetting that it is accountable to the people who have entrusted it with the responsibility of running the country. Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have personally presented their government's progress report before the public on many platforms. In these 11 years, we have fulfilled the aspiration of ordinary Indians of a 'Safe India, Prosperous India' and introduced a new India to the world. After the attack on tourists in Pahalgam, the Modi government carried out decisive operations and destroyed terrorist bases operating in and supported by Pakistan. As soon as the Pakistani government tried to give a reply to India's action, the Indian Army dealt Pakistan such a befitting blow that Pakistan's warlords and rulers had to bow down before India. The Pakistan that tried to enter Indian territory was humiliated to core when a befitting reply was given to the Pakistani terrorists. Indian-made weapons played a valuable role in this 'Operation Sindoor'. Systems like 'Akashteer', which releases swarms of drones carrying 5-10 kg of explosives, are the achievements of the Modi government. It is an achievement of the Modi government that India is moving towards becoming completely self-reliant in its defence capability due to the emphasis on defence manufacturing under the 'Make in India' campaign. In the last 11 years, the Modi government has shown the world that India can build a world-class defence system. In the last year, the Modi government has also shown its resolve by taking important decisions like the Waqf Amendment Bill. In the first 100 days of Government 3.0, infrastructure development projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore were launched. This includes the Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra. A Rs 49 thousand crore scheme has also been launched to connect 25 thousand villages that have never been connected by road till now. The Modi government's commitment to service, good governance and welfare of the poor is evident in many decisions taken by them which had remained neglected until now like making income up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free for the middle class, increasing 75,000 new seats in medical colleges, removing export value on onion and basmati rice, increasing the support price of kharif crops from Rs 100 to Rs 550, a package of Rs 2 lakh crore for the youth, increasing capital expenditure to Rs 11 lakh 11 thousand crore, and providing free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to citizens above 70 years of age under the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana. Over 50 lakh Lakhpati Didis have been registered in the last year. Since the launch of this initiative, 1.25 crore women have become Lakhpati Didis. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan created a cleanliness movement and everyone was able to see how it transformed the country. The country's metro network has expanded beyond 1,000 kilometers in the last 11 years. India was a toy importer before 2014. In 2023-24, India exported toys worth $152.34 million. The innovative idea of starting freight transport on rivers like the Ganges has been a great success. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has generated a revenue of Rs 2 lakh crore. The Modi government's schemes like Jan Dhan, Ujjwala, and PM Awas Yojana have brought about revolutionary changes in the lives of the poor. I take this opportunity to express my confidence and belief that India's development chariot will run even faster in the next 4 years. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
