9 years of Modi govt. about ‘most successful leadership’ in India, says Nagaland BJP president

KOHIMA — The president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nagaland state, Temjen Imna Along, on Monday claimed that the government under Prime Minister Narendra during the past nine years is about the ‘most successful leadership’ in India after Independence.

He was ddressing a press conference at the BJP State Head office in Kohima in commemoration of nine years of PM Modi’s government.

He said that 2023 marks nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and the period has been dedicated towards bringing about development which is inclusive, progressive, and sustainable.

The central government under Modi has been steadfast in its commitment towards creating equity and opportunity for all citizens, he said while asserting that the PM Modi brought the politics of development – Vikasvaad – into the mainstream, making it the focal point around which political discourse and policy action now revolves.

‘Since assuming office in 2014, PM Modi has remained firm in his resolve of keeping India first in every policy formulation and action. This resolve is evident in government’s handling of both external and internal security, economic management, empowerment schemes for marginalised groups, efforts at cultural conservation and so on,’ said the BJP president.

Asserting that Modi’s government has always believed in setting challenging targets and achieving them before the set deadline, he also said this could be seen across sectors whether it is vaccinating the entire eligible population against COVID-19 in record time, recording the nation’s highest ever exports in history, digital revolution which is taking place across India, achieving monumental targets for rural electrification, building world class infrastructure, or providing drinking water facilities across households.

He maintained that in the last nine years, there has been a paradigm shift in public service delivery and the implementation of government schemes using the JAM Trinity-Jan Dhan, Aadhaar.

Imna Along pointed out that JAM Trinity is the key enabler of India’s transformed and well-developed digital landscape, removing intermediaries and permits direct transfer of benefits into an intended beneficiary’s bank account.

“For a country to prosper, it is imperative that its infrastructure grows rapidly and the government under PM Modi’s dynamic leadership understands this,” he said while pointing out that completion of infrastructure projects that were delayed over decades, as well as starting and completing new ones has been the cornerstone of his government’s developmental approach.

‘In stark contrast to the earlier piece-meal approach to development, the Modi government has brought in a culture of holistic development that leaves no one behind. The massive expansion of welfare coverage over the last nine years has motivated all Indians to dream big and aspire for greater achievements,” he said.

Imna Along also claimed that under PM Modi, India has championed environmental protection globally, emerging as a leader of the movement, as well as preservation and promotion of its rich cultural heritage, citing the United Nations declaring June 21st as International Yoga Day, an acknowledgement of the global recognition of Indian heritage.

Modi has not only encouraged people to aspire but also provided adequate government support in fulfilling their rising aspirations, he said.

The BJP state president stated that Modi government had changed the “Look East Policy” to ‘Act East Policy”, and that from education to healthcare, everything has increased exponentially with more than INR 7 lakh crore being spent on the infrastructure of Northeast in the last eight years alone.

He also highlighted the increase in the number of flights from 900 to 1900 besides the HIRA model: H-Highway, I-Infrastructure, R-Railway and A-Airport.

On AFSPA

Pointing out that AFSPA has been withdrawn from most part of the Northeast, including in 15 police stations of Nagaland, Imna Along said that the central government is working on withdrawing AFSPA in a phased manner.

He also asserted that terrorism incidents witnessed a 74% reduction in 2021 as compared to 2014, while the deaths of security personnel and civilians came down by 60% and 84% respectively during the same period.

Citing various programmes and projects such as Pradhan Mantri Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Northeast Rural Livelihoods Projects (NERLP), Khelo India centre and others, the BJP state president claimed that funds for development activities in Nagaland increased by about four times under the NDA government compared to the UPA regime.

He also highlighted the initiative of PM Modi’s government like Ayushman Bharat (AB- PMJAY), PM Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat, PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Ujjwala, National Highway Networks in Nagaland, and others.