Bengaluru, Aug 15 (IANS) India has emerged as a nation that commands global attention under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has witnessed unprecedented development in recent years, BJP MLC and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said on Saturday.
Addressing party workers after hoisting the national flag at the BJP state headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, Narayanaswamy said India’s growing global stature was a result of the progress achieved under Modi’s leadership.
“Earlier, there was a situation where the country had to pledge its gold to run the economy. Today, India has emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy,” he said, expressing confidence that the nation would become the world’s leading economic power by 2047.
The BJP leader said Prime Minister Modi was working towards achieving that goal and that party leaders were striving to highlight India’s strength and potential.
Claiming that no contemporary leader matched Modi’s stature, Narayanaswamy said attempts by opposition parties to unite against the Prime Minister would not succeed. He also praised Modi for his leadership style, saying he treated everyone equally and worked towards national unity.
He said criticism was an integral part of democracy but cautioned against vilifying political leaders. “People in India, as well as abroad, respect Modi and will not tolerate abuse directed at him,” he said.
Taking a dig at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Narayanaswamy alleged that remarks attributed to Kharge had insulted those who fought for India’s freedom. He questioned whether such comparisons were appropriate in the context of the freedom struggle.
Referring to governance in Karnataka, he noted that BJP, JD(S) and Congress governments had ruled the state at different times and urged parties in power to focus on people-centric administration and address public concerns.
Narayanaswamy said Prime Minister Modi had described Generation Z as the nation’s future but alleged that the Congress had attempted to mislead young people for political gain. He further claimed that concerns raised by Gen Z over issues such as recruitment and examination irregularities had not received an adequate response from the state government.
He also criticised the Congress for repeatedly targeting the RSS, alleging that criticism of the organisation had become an obsession for Congress leaders.
Emphasising the sacrifices made during the freedom struggle, Narayanaswamy said India’s Independence was achieved through the efforts, sacrifices and martyrdom of countless people and urged citizens to reflect on the country’s progress over the last 80 years.
Several BJP leaders and office-bearers, including B.L. Santhosh, N. Ravikumar, Keshav Prasad, Haratalu Halappa and Dr. Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, were present at the event.
–IANS
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