Prime Minister’s Office
English rendering of PM’s address at the laying of foundation stone, inauguration and dedication of various projects in Thane, Maharashtra
Posted On: 05 OCT 2024 6:50PM by PIB Delhi
Bharat Mata ki – Jai!
Bharat Mata ki – Jai!
Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan ji, the popular Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde ji, Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Devendra Fadnavis ji and Shri Ajit Pawar ji, ministers of the state government, Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly, other senior dignitaries, and my dear brothers and sisters of Maharashtra!
I bow countless times to the divine powers of Maharashtra, the three and a half Shakti Peethas: Goddess Bhavani of Tuljapur, Goddess Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur, Goddess Renuka of Mahur, and Goddess Saptashrungi of Vani. I also offer my respects at the feet of Lord Kopineshwar on the land of Thane. I also bow to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar as well.
Brothers and sisters,
Today, I have come to Maharashtra to share great news with you. The central government has granted the Marathi language the status of a classical language. This is not just an honour for Marathi or Maharashtra. It is an honour for the tradition that has given the country a rich culture of knowledge, philosophy, spirituality, and literature. I congratulate all Marathi-speaking people in Bharat and around the world for this.
Friends,
I am blessed to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for numerous developmental projects during Navratri. Before arriving in Thane, I was in Washim, where I had the opportunity to release the Kisan Samman Nidhi for 9.5 crore farmers in the country and inaugurate several developmental projects. Now, in Thane, we are setting milestones for the modern development of Maharashtra. The superfast speed of development in Maharashtra, the Mumbai-MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region), today showcases the bright future of the state. The Mahayuti government has started projects worth more than 30,000 crore rupees in Mumbai-MMR today. We have also laid the foundation stone for the Thane Integral Ring Metro which will cost 12,000 crore rupees. Additionally, the foundation stones for projects like the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA Project), the elevated Eastern Freeway from Chedda Nagar to Anand Nagar, and the new headquarters of Thane Municipal Corporation have been laid today. These projects will give Mumbai and Thane a modern identity.
Friends,
Today, the Aqua Line Metro from Aarey to BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) in Mumbai is also being inaugurated. The people of Mumbai have been waiting for this metro line for a long time. I would like to thank the Government of Japan today. Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has provided immense support for this project, making this metro a symbol of the friendship between Bharat and Japan.
Brothers and sisters,
Balasaheb Thackeray had a special connection with Thane. This is also the city of the late Anand Dighe ji. This city gave the country its first woman doctor, Anandibai Joshi. Today, we are fulfilling the dreams of these great personalities through these development projects. I congratulate all the people of Thane and Mumbai, as well as all the people of Maharashtra, for these projects.
Friends,
Today, every citizen of the country has one goal— ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India)! That is why every decision, every pledge, and every dream of our government is dedicated to ‘Viksit Bharat’. To achieve this goal, we need to make cities like Mumbai and Thane future-ready. However, we have to work twice as hard because we need to develop fast while also filling the gaps left by the previous Congress governments. Remember how the Congress and its allies were steering cities like Mumbai and Thane? The population was growing, traffic was increasing, but there were no solutions! The fear of Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, slowing down or coming to a halt was becoming a reality. Our government has worked to change this situation. Today, a metro network of nearly 300 kilometres is being developed in the Mumbai metropolitan area. The journey from Marine Drive to Bandra is now completed in 12 minutes through the Coastal Road. The Atal Setu has reduced the distance between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The underground tunnel project from Orange Gate to Marine Drive is progressing rapidly. There are so many projects that I could list, but it would take too long. Projects like the Versova-Bandra Sea Bridge, the Eastern Freeway, the Thane-Borivali Tunnel, and the Thane Circular Metro Rail Project are transforming these cities. These projects will benefit the people of Mumbai significantly. They will reduce difficulties in Mumbai and its surrounding cities, create new employment opportunities, and boost industries.
Friends,
On one side, we have the Mahayuti government, which is dedicated to the development of Maharashtra. On the other side, we have Congress and the Maha Aghadi people, who halt developmental work whenever they get a chance. The Maha Aghadi is known for delaying, obstructing, and diverting development projects. The Mumbai Metro is a witness to this! The Mumbai Metro Line 3 was initiated during Devendra Fadnavis’s tenure as Chief Minister, and 60 per cent of the work was completed during his tenure. But then the Maha Aghadi government came in and halted the project out of arrogance. The project remained stalled for two and a half years, increasing the cost by 14,000 crore rupees! Whose money was this 14,000 crore rupees? Wasn’t it Maharashtra’s money? Wasn’t it the money of Maharashtra’s citizens? This was the hard-earned money of Maharashtra’s taxpayers.
Brothers and sisters,
On one side, there is the Mahayuti government, which completes the work, and on the other side, there are the people of the Maha Aghadi, who obstruct development. The Maha Aghadi has proven through its track record that it is anti-development! They opposed the Atal Setu. They conspired to halt the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train. While in power, they didn’t allow the Bullet Train project to move forward. They even obstructed water-related projects in drought-affected areas of Maharashtra. These projects were meant to quench the thirst of Maharashtra’s people, but the Maha Aghadi government stopped them. They halted all your work. Now, you must halt them. You must keep these enemies of development out of power in Maharashtra—keep them miles away!
Friends,
Congress is the most dishonest and corrupt party in Bharat. No matter the era or the state, Congress’ character never changes! Just look at the events of the past week. A Congress Chief Minister’s name has emerged in a land scam. One of their ministers is abusing and insulting women. In Haryana, a Congress leader has been caught with drugs. The Congress makes grand promises during elections. But when they come to power, they find new ways to exploit the public. Their agenda is to impose new taxes daily to fund their scams. The Congress government has crossed all limits in Himachal. The Congress government has imposed a new tax in Himachal. You can’t even imagine what it is. What is this new tax? They have imposed a “toilet tax”! On one hand, Modi is saying, “Build toilets,” and on the other hand, they are saying, “We will tax toilets.” In other words, the Congress is truly a package of looting and deception. They will steal your land, push the youth into drugs, burden you with taxes, and abuse women. This entire package of lies, corruption, and misgovernance is the identity of the Congress. And remember, I have only shared a glimpse of the recent days with you, and that too not entirely, because of time constraints. Congress has been doing this for years.
Brothers and sisters,
They have already started showing their true colours in Maharashtra. Look, the Mahayuti government has launched the ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’ for the women of Maharashtra. Under this scheme, women receive 1,500 rupees per month and three free LPG cylinders a year. The Maha Aghadi people can’t digest this. They are waiting for an opportunity, and if the Mahayuti government gets a chance, which they will not, the first thing they will do is take out their anger on Shinde ji, and they will shut down all the schemes that Shinde ji has introduced. The Maha Aghadi wants the money not to reach the hands of the sisters but into the pockets of their middlemen. That’s why our mothers and sisters need to be extra cautious of the Congress and the Maha Aghadi people.
Friends,
When Congress was in power, there was often a question: Why is Congress troubled by the country’s development? But since they have been out of power, they have given the answer themselves. Today, Congress’ true colours have come out. The Congress is now run by the Urban Naxal gang. Across the world, those who want to stop Bharat’s progress—Congress is now openly standing with them. That’s why, despite their massive failures, Congress still dreams of forming the government! The Congress knows its vote bank will remain intact, but other people will be easily divided. Therefore, the Congress and its allies have one mission: divide society, divide the people, and seize power. Therefore, we must learn from the past. We must make our unity the shield of the country. We must remember that if we divide, the dividers will celebrate. We cannot let the Congress and the Maha Aghadi people’ plans succeed.
Friends,
Wherever Congress steps in, it leads to ruin. They have pushed the country into poverty! They destroyed Maharashtra, they destroyed Maharashtra’s farmers. Wherever they have formed a government, they have destroyed that state as well. Not only that, even the parties that associate with them get ruined. Those who once spoke of nationalism are now indulging in appeasement politics. You all know that our government has brought a bill to remove illegal Waqf board encroachments. But, the Congress’ new disciples, in their politics of appeasement, are committing the sin of opposing our Waqf bill. They are saying that they will not allow the removal of illegal Waqf board encroachments. Moreover, the people of Congress even insult and speak ill of Veer Savarkar, yet Congress’ followers continue to stand behind them. Now, the Congress is openly declaring that they will reinstate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and their disciples remain silent. Such a decline in ideology just to create a new vote bank, this appeasement attitude of Congress, and the degradation of anyone who comes under Congress’ influence is evident.
Friends,
Today, the country and Maharashtra need an honest and stable government with clear policies. Only the BJP and the Mahayuti government can accomplish this. It is only the BJP that has built modern infrastructure in the country while strengthening social infrastructure. We have set records in developing highways, expressways, roadways, and airports, and we have also lifted 25 crore people out of poverty. We still have much more to do to take the country forward. I am confident that every citizen of Maharashtra stands with this resolve, stands with the NDA. Together, we will fulfil Maharashtra’s dreams. With this confidence, I once again congratulate all of you on all the development projects and the vast amount of work being done. Join me in saying:
Bharat Mata ki – Jai!
Bharat Mata ki – Jai!
Bharat Mata ki – Jai!
Thank you very much.
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.
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