Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, saying it reflected the spirit of innovation, motivation and the direction in which the country is marching ahead.
Stating that the speech gave a holistic view to the entire freedom struggle in the present day context, Rajnath said that the Prime Minister made a reference to every major touch point that led to massive political movement of 1942.
"As a colleague I feel the need to appreciate certain remarkable and distinct patterns emerging from his address, which reflects in his entire concept of governance almost like mantras. Broadly, there are several underlying themes into which the thrust of every single point he made can be placed. At the very outset the Prime Minister recalled the contribution and sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and martyrs, who ensured that we remain fearlessly free indicating the sensitivity of this government towards its heroes, freedom fighters and those who attained martyrdom in the line of duty," Rajnath said in a statement.
Referring to Prime Minister Modi's message empathising with the grieving kin of the Gorakhpur and the flood victims, the Union Minister said it was a reassuring statement which showed that even in its celebratory moments, the nation is sensitive enough to not forget those suffering and unable to celebrate.
Recalling the Prime Minister's heartwarming message to the people of the Valley saying "Na Gaali Na Goli" can resolve the complexities of Kashmir issue, Rajnath said that the Centre has been consistent in its belief that the common Kashmiri wants to be an active stakeholder in the peace process.
"They have been made victim by certain vested interests who do not want peace in the Kashmir valley. The Prime Minister in his speech appealed to those who take recourse to violence and exhorted them to abjure violence and adopt democratic means to voice their concerns and grievances. Prime Minister Modi's appealed to people to shun violence of every hue and shade, be it communal, casteist, or even a simple case of road rage," he said.
Mentioning Prime Minister Modi's reference to how the bar was set higher for his government right at the beginning when an SIT on black money was constituted through the very first Cabinet decision, Rajnath highlighted that since then, many effective steps have been taken to strengthen India's fight against corruption.
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"Steps like demonetisation, notification of the Benami Law and its enforcement to seize Rs 800 crore worth properties, crackdown on shell companies and post-demonetisation data mining to detect suspicious accounts have clearly underlined our Prime Minister's integrity, the government's intent and his decisive decision making ability," Rajnath said.
Hailing the armed forces who have made innumerable sacrifices to protect the nation from its enemies, the Union Minister stated that the best example of our forces taking extra ordinary measures to protect the country was when the Indian Army crossed the LoC conducting surgical strikes and successfully destroying terrorist launch pads close to border.
"Realising the need to showcase the valiant acts of our armed forces, I am happy that the PM announced the launch of a unique website to document and preserve the heroic acts of men and women in Indian armed forces who have been awarded gallantry awards," he said.
Touching upon Prime Minister Modi mention of his vision of a 'New India', Rajanth asserted that the journey from 'Today's India' to 'New India' has already begun and that the momentum has been built in the three years of this government.
"Now it has to be transformed into a mass movement and the Prime Minister exhorted the people of India to join this 'New India' movement stating that this could be a historic turning point in India's independent history and in its quest for reclaiming the position of 'Jagadguru' in the comity of nations," the Union Minister concluded.