New Delhi: Seeking people’s cooperation to make India poverty-free, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said BJP is synonymous with development which is talking place in all the party-ruled states even as he sought a political change in Odisha.
“We have heard ‘garibi hatao’ slogan for 40-50 years. The intention of those who gave it might not have been bad but poverty, unemployment and diseases increased as the path chosen for it by them was wrong path,” he said.
Addressing a public meeting here on completion of two years of his government, Modi said from the day one he had made up his mind to prepare schemes that would help eradicate poverty.
“In my first speech in Parliament, I had stated that my government is dedicated to the welfare of the poor. My aim is to ensure sustainable development of all states,” he said.
Describing himself as the ‘pradhan sevak’ of the country, Modi said he had come down to Balasore and Odisha to explain what his government has done for the poor.
“We are accountable to the people,” the Prime Minister said while asking the gathering whether the Naveen Patnaik had ever given an account to the people.
Modi said, “When people are convinced about a government’s sincerity, only then it is possible for the government to move forward. I want people-government partnership to fight poverty and, therefore my government is trying to empower the people.
There should be an integrated way of development so that all the states move forward in an even manner.” Holding that all BJP-ruled states were developing in a faster manner, he said Odisha has lagged behind as his party is yet to be in power the state while asking the people to work for a change.
“You can look at the condition of states where BJP is yet to get a foothold,” he said, apparently taking a dig at the Naveen Patnaik government.