PM Modi inaugurates Rashtra Prerna Sthal, pays tributes to Vajpayee on his 101st birth anniversary

On the occasion of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 101th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow to honour the ideals of former PM Vajpayee.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Modi said that the Rashtra Prerna Sthal is a symbol of the thought that showed India the path of self-respect, unity, and service. December 25 brings with it the extraordinary coincidence of the birth anniversaries of two great luminaries. “Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bharat Ratna Shri Madan Mohan Malaviya laid a strong foundation for India’s identity, unity, and pride, and left an enduring imprint on nation-building,” he added.

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Modi highlighted that the land on which the site has been built had a mountain of garbage spread over more than 30 acres. “Over the past three years, it has been completely cleared. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the workers, artisans, planners, Yogi Ji, and his entire team associated with this project,” the PM said.

Highlighting his government’s achievements, Modi said crores of Indians have defeated poverty in the last one decade. “This became possible only because the BJP government prioritized what had been left behind, it prioritized those at the very end of the line,” he said.

For a long time in the country, Modi said, slogans like “Remove Poverty” were considered as good governance itself, but it was Atal Bihar Vajpayee who truly brought good governance to the ground. He also credited Vajpayee for laying the foundation of digital identity. “Today, there is so much discussion about digital identity; it was Atal Ji’s government that laid the foundation for it.”

Referring to the now-scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said that Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee firmly opposed the system of two constitutions, two heads and two flags in India. “Even after Independence, this arrangement posed a serious challenge to India’s unity and integrity. The BJP takes pride in the fact that our government got the opportunity to dismantle the wall of Article 370,” the PM said.

Modi also extended Christmas greetings to the country and the world. “Millions of Christian families are celebrating the festival of Christmas. May this festival bring joy to everyone’s life,” he said.

He also remembered Maharaja Bijli Pasi, whose birth anniversary also coincides with that of Vajpayee. “Maharaja Bijli Pasi Ji left a legacy of valor, good governance, and inclusivity, which our Pasi community has proudly carried forward. It is also a coincidence that Atal Ji had issued a postage stamp in honor of Maharaja Bijli Pasi Ji in the year 2000,” the PM added.