Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the choice of people is the BJP and there is a consensus among them that the country does not need a “mili-juli sarkar” as an era of such governments resulted in loss of optimism and gave a bad image to India.

Exuding confidence about the 2024 general election, PM Modi in an interview to India Today magazine said there is a consensus among the people, experts, opinion makers and friends from the media that “our country doesn’t need a mili-juli sarkar“.

“We have lost 30 years due to instability resulting from mili-juli sarkar. People have seen the lack of governance, appeasement politics, corruption in the era of mili-juli sarkar. This resulted in loss of optimism and confidence among the people and gave a bad image to India in the world. So, naturally the choice of the people is the BJP,” PM Modi said.

His comments assume significance, coming ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in which the opposition INDIA bloc is set to challenge the BJP.

PM Modi said his guarantee is not a formula made for winning elections, but it is the trust of the poor. “Today, every poor person in the country knows that Modi will not back down from his duty. This trust of the poor also gives me the energy that even if I completely exhaust myself or push myself over my limit, I would not let this trust be violated,” he said.

PM Modi said to make India developed by 2047, the focus will be on GYAN — “G for Garib, Y for Yuva, A for Annadata, N for Nari Shakti”.

Discussing ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’, PM Modi drew parallels between the 1922-1947 period and the next 25 years.

“From 1922 to the period up to 1947, everyone wanted to contribute towards the freedom movement. I see a similar optimism among the people to make India a developed country by the time we celebrate 100 years of independence. This energy is my driving force,” PM Modi said. “Hum GYAN pe dhyaan denge (we will focus on GYAN)…” he added

On the BJP selecting fresh faces as Chief Ministers of three heartland states – Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh – PM Modi said it may appear like a fresh trend, but it is not new for the party.

The Prime Minister said he himself is the best example of this practice within the BJP. PM Modi pointed out that when he became Gujarat Chief Minister, he had no prior administrative experience and was not even elected to the assembly.

“Most of the other parties today are parivarvadi (dynastic) parties and these find this democratic churn difficult,” PM Modi said, adding the BJP is a cadre-based party, driven by a clear mission and has the ability to nurture multiple generations of leadership at the same time.

On why the BJP is not ruling in any of the big southern and eastern states, PM Modi pointed to the party’s expanding footprint in the country. there is no corner of the country where our party does not have support”.

“From local bodies in Kerala to being the principal opposition in many states, our party is doing robust work among the people,” he said.

With inputs from PTI

Pakistan has received India’s request for extradition of 26/11 attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said on Friday. But she said that no bilateral extradition treaty exists between India and Pakistan.

In a statement, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “Pakistan has received a request from the Indian authorities, seeking extradition of Hafiz Saeed in a so-called money laundering case.”

“It is pertinent to note that no bilateral extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and India,” she added.

Earlier in the day, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has conveyed a request to the Pakistan government regarding the extradition of Hafiz Saeed to India for facing trial in a particular case.

Addressing the weekly briefing, Mr Bagchi said, “The person in question (Hafiz Saeed) is wanted in numerous cases in India. He is also a UN-proscribed terrorist. In this regard, we have conveyed a request along with relevant supporting documents, to the government of Pakistan to extradite him to India to face trial in a particular case.

“We have been flagging the issue of activities that he’s been wanted for. This is a recent request,” he added.

Notably, Saeed, who is a UN-proscribed terrorist is the founder of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He was the mastermind of the deadly 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and is wanted in India in numerous cases.

Muhammad Hafiz Saeed, who has been in jail since July 17, 2019, for other charges, was sentenced in April 2022 by a special anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Pakistan, to a jail term of 33 years for “financing terrorism.”

Despite being designated a terrorist by the UN and EU in the 2000s, Saeed was neither charged nor extradited over nearly two decades. Saeed was designated as a terrorist by the United Nations Security Council in December 2008.

Meanwhile, in a development that has brought criticism, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political entity of Hafiz Saeed has fielded candidates for each and every national and provincial assembly constituency across Pakistan for the upcoming general elections slated to be held on February 8, 2024.

Hafiz Saeed’s son Talha Saeed is also going to contest the polls from National Assembly’s constituency NA-127, Lahore, Dawn reported. PMML’s central president Khalid Masood Sindhu is contesting elections from NA-130, against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Prime Minister, who is expected to be in Ayodhya for four hours, will also inaugurate or lay the foundation stone of 46 infrastructure projects worth Rs 15,700 crore. The city has been decked up in flowers and posters welcoming the PM have been put up in several places. A heavy security cordon is in place.
“Our government is determined to develop world-class infrastructure, improve connectivity and preserve the rich heritage of Ayodhya, the city of Lord Shri Ram. In this direction, I will inaugurate the newly constructed airport and redeveloped railway station tomorrow. Along with this, I will also get the privilege of inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of many more development projects, which will make the life of my family members in many areas of the country, including Ayodhya and UP, easier,” PM Modi posted in Hindi on X.
The Ayodhya airport, which will be called the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham, has been developed at a cost of over Rs 1,450 crore. The airport’s terminal has an area of 6,500 sq m and will be equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually. Colourful murals depicting different stages of the Ramayana and Lord Ram’s life adorn several sections of the airport
Airlines will offer flights to and from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Ahmedabad to cater to the thousands of people who are expected to visit the Ram Temple every day after the consecration ceremony. Regular flight operations will begin on January 6.
The railway station, which will be called the Ayodhya Dham junction, has been redeveloped at a cost of Rs 240 crore. The three-storey structure is a certified green building and is equipped with lifts, escalators, waiting halls, cloakrooms and food plazas.
The station’s facade has a traditional look and many aspects of the design are inspired by Lord Ram’s life as well as the Ram Temple. “The top of the station has a structure with a design that resembles a royal ‘mukut’ (crown) while a bow has been depicted on a wall just beneath it. This is to signify Ayodhya’s association with Lord Ram,” an official told news agency PTI.
Prime Minister Modi will also flag off six Vande Bharat and two new Amrit Bharat trains. The Amrit Bharat trains, which are a new category of superfast passenger trains, feature the ‘push-pull’ technology, which increases their speed as well as passenger comfort. They also have improved amenities, including better seats, roomier luggage racks, LED lights, CCTV cameras and a public information system.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate the railway station around 10.30 am and flag off the trains. He will also dedicate several other railway projects to the nation. The PM will hold a roadshow and reach the Ayodhya Airport, which will be inaugurated around 12.30 pm. He will then participate in a public programme where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of the development projects.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday inspected the Ayodhya railway station and the airport and also took a selfie at the ground where the Prime Minister will address the public programme. The chief minister will welcome the PM when he arrives in Ayodhya around 9.50 am.
Of the development works, projects worth more than Rs 11,000 crore are for Ayodhya and its surrounding areas. The Prime Minister will inaugurate four widened and beautified roads in the city. The other projects include a medical college, the Ayodhya bypass, a solid waste treatment and five parking and commercial facilities.