In an effort to enhance the BJP's connect with people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon the party's elected representatives to go to villages to ensure that the benefits of the government's welfare schemes aimed at the poor and those living in rural areas reach them.
Addressing party MPs, MLAs and other public representatives through an "audio bridge" technology, he also launched on a massive programme that will take its leaders to villages under "Gram Swaraj Abhiyan" programme.
The programme, which Modi dubbed as to "unite the country" will begin on the birth anniversary of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar on April 14 and will end on May 5.
"I myself will be visiting Bijapur in Chhattisgarh on April 14 to join the programme. The BJP government is continuously working hard to fulfil the dreams of 'Gram Swaraj' by leaders such as B.R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, in which social justice, education, brotherhood, respect for women, upliftment of poor and villagers and cleanliness can be strengthened," Modi said according to a party statement.
He said that his government has been working to make India stronger and self reliant by ensuring social justice, providing education and empowering women and poor.
"For the empowerment of poor and farmers, BJP's public representatives will take the campaign among the rural areas of the country through which the dreams of great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and Jyotiba Phule will be fulfilled," he said.
He emphasised that the dream of new India will be strengthened with the strengthening and development of villages.
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"With the improvement of living standards of people in rural India, the country will automatically move ahead on the path of development," he said.
To make the "Gram Swaraj Abhiyan" successful, Modi asked all the party public representatives to go from people to people and village to village to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach women, farmers and poor people.
He asked party leaders to celebrate April 18 as Swachh Bharat Parv, April 20 as Ujwala Diwas, April 24 as Panchayati Raj Diwas, April 28 as Gram Shakti Abhiyan, April 30 as "Ayushman Bharat Diwas" which is popularly known as Modi care.
He also said that a Kishan Kalyan Karyashala, focussed on empowering farmers by doubling their income, will be organised on May 2 and a Kaushal Vikas Mela will be organised for the labour class on May 5.
Modi also announced that on April 22, he will interact with all the BJP public representatives and party workers through Narendra Modi app.
Explaining the reason behind party's call of fast on Thursday, Modi said that the BJP will expose the mind set of handful of people who are frustrated after being out of power, and constantly conspiring to murder democracy by not letting the parliament to function.
He will observe a day-long fast on April 12 along BJP MPs including party President Amit Shah to protest against the washout of the second part of Parliament's budget session due to continuous disruptions, which the BJP blamed on the Congress.
The Prime Minister's reach out programmes come at a time when the BJP is facing is facing opposition chareges of being anti-Dalit and anti-poor. The opposition parties led by Congress has also stepped up its attack on the Modi government by dubbing its claims on various fronts as nothing but "lip service".
--IANS
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