Proud to tear down the wall of Article 370: PM

Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the BJP took pride in having the opportunity to "tear down the wall of Article 370" and slammed the Congress' "dynastic politics", accusing it of "one family glorification".

Modi said this after inaugurating the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow on the 101st birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Prerna Sthal features 65-foot bronze statues of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya, and a lotus-shaped museum spread over 98,000 square feet, which Modi later visited.

Addressing a public gathering after the inauguration, Modi said, "The BJP is proud that our government had the opportunity to tear down the wall of Article 370," adding that the legacy of good governance created by the BJP-led NDA government was now being taken to new heights at both the Centre and state levels. "We must not forget how after Independence, a tendency developed to attribute every positive achievement to a single family," he said.

The Prime Minister said his government had made Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya's Antyodaya vision its mission to ensure that government schemes reached all the poor without discrimination. "Before 2014, about 25 crore people were covered under social security schemes, while today this number has increased to 95 crore," he said. Modi also said the day was not far off when Uttar Pradesh's defence corridor would be known globally for defence manufacturing.

PM Modi was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior leaders. He was warmly welcomed by people who waved the tricolour and raised slogans in his honour. He said the Prerna Sthal symbolises the ideals that have guided India on the path of self-respect, unity and service, and called for collective efforts towards nation-building.

Addressing the gathering, Modi extended Christmas greetings to people in India and across the world, saying, "This festival should bring happiness into everyone's lives."

He said December 25 marks the birth anniversaries of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bharat Ratna Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya, adding that both leaders "protected India's identity, unity and pride and left an indelible mark on nation-building".