Amaravati, Sep 17 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking India towards the league of developed nations.
Participating in the Varanasi–Vadnagar Seva Sankalp Abhiyan programme in Varanasi on Thursday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years in public service, he said PM Modi believes that serving the people is serving the nation.
According to a release by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) here, Chandrababu Naidu called Kashi the karmabhoomi of PM Modi, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Varanasi three times. Kashi has not merely elected a leader for Varanasi, but has given the country a leader, he added.
The TDP chief, who began his speech with a few Hindi words, said the country was changing and progressing.
The Chief Minister claimed that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, 25 crore people have come out of poverty and 80 crore people are receiving free foodgrains. Through schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission and AMRUT, drinking-water facilities have been extended to four crore households, he said.
PM-KISAN is benefiting 11 crore farmers, with funds being transferred directly into their bank accounts without intermediaries, he said.
At a time when several countries were facing crises, Prime Minister Modi provided leadership that protected the interests of 140 crore Indians, the Chief Minister said.
Chandrababu Naidu said Prime Minister Modi encouraged the production of 200 crore COVID vaccine doses and India supplied COVID vaccines free of cost to 101 countries, describing it as an expression of humanitarian concern. Policies such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Global strengthened the Make in India concept.
India had earlier depended on imports for defence equipment, but has now reached a stage where it is exporting defence equipment, he said. The Prime Minister has understood emerging technologies such as space, drones, quantum technology, semiconductors and robotics, and is creating opportunities for the youth through them, Chandrababu said.
The Chief Minister said that while youth earlier largely depended on employment, India now has 2.20 lakh start-ups, enabling young people to become job creators. India ranks third among countries with strong start-up ecosystems, he said.
Naidu described the Prime Minister’s initiatives for women’s welfare and empowerment as significant, citing Beti Bachao–Beti Padhao and Lakhpati Didi. Ujjwala provides access to clean fuel, Mudra facilitates access to finance, and self-help groups are strengthening confidence and economic participation among women. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, providing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, would be a game changer, he said.
Chandrababu Naidu said India had emerged as a strong global power and cited Operation Sindoor as an example of the country’s response to security challenges. He congratulated Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the conduct of Operation Sindoor. Recalling his own experience of confronting Naxalism, he said the country had now made significant progress in eliminating Naxalism and Maoism.
The Chief Minister praised the completion of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, saying that a long-pending aspiration had been realised. He said the Andhra Pradesh government proposes to construct a Lord Venkateswara temple in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama.
He appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to allot 10 acres of land for the construction of the Venkateswara temple.
The Varanasi–Vadnagar Seva Yatra was launched as part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which connects Varanasi, Prime Minister Modi’s parliamentary constituency, with Vadnagar, his birthplace.
Earlier, Chandrababu Naidu offered prayers to Lord Kasiviswanath along with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Chirag Paswan, and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
–IANS
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